On April 6, 2011, the Justice Department announced that it has filed a deferred prosecution agreement and criminal information against JGC Corporation, a Japanese engineering and construction company, which has agreed to pay a $218.8 million criminal penalty for participating in a scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
The International Trade Commission has announced the institution of antidumping and countervailing duty injury investigations regarding certain steel wheels from China that are provided for in HTS subheading 8708.70.
The International Trade Commission has announced the institution of an antidumping duty injury investigation regarding certain steel nails from the United Arab Emirates that are provided for in HTS subheadings 7317.00.55, 7317.00.65 and 7317.00.75.
The International Trade Commission has announced the institution of antidumping and countervailing duty injury investigations regarding bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers from Korea and Mexico that are provided for in HTS subheadings 8418.10.00, 8418.21.00, 8418.99.40, and 8418.99.80.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted an updated version of its spreadsheet of ACE ESAR A2.2 (Initial Entry Types) programming issues.
The International Trade Commission announces that a section 337 patent-based complaint has been filed regarding certain electronic devices, including mobile phones, mobile tablets, portable music players, and computers, and components thereof.
The International Trade Administration has initiated administrative reviews of the antidumping duty orders below, for certain specified companies listed in the initiation notice.
On March 31, 2011, a World Trade Organization panel issued a ruling in the long-running dispute brought by the European Union on U.S. subsidization of Boeing. The panel ruled that the U.S. provided at least $5.3 billion in specific subsidies to Boeing from 1989-2006 and ordered the removal of at least $2.7 billion, but rejected certain other EU claims.1
The Bureau of Industry and Security received 41 public comments on its December 2010 proposed rule to add a new License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA). Commenters expressed concerns that the proposed exception is too conservative and will not benefit many companies, and provided recommendations for new licensing mechanisms.
On February 14, 2011, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a decision upholding the calculation methods of the International Trade Administration in a court remand over an antidumping administrative review of circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Thailand for the period March 2006 - February 2007 (the decision upheld the ITA’s accounting for duty drawbacks on imported components, among other issues). Subsequently the parties to the litigation filed motions to proceed with liquidation of the merchandise, indicating no party intended to appeal the matter further. However, the Court of International Trade ruled that it could not modify the injunction against liquidation that is still in place, until the CAFC formally issues its mandate. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 02/18/11 news, 11021817, for BP summary of CAFC decision upholding duty drawback adjustments for Saha Thai.) (Slip Op. 11-29, dated 03/22/11)