The International Trade Commission is issuing a limited exclusion order banning imports of smart ring wearable devices (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1398) from India-based Ultrahuman and U.S.-based RingConn, it said in a Aug. 26 notice. Additionally, the ITC issued cease and desist orders against the companies but declined to set a bond. The order concludes the Section 337 investigation that the ITC launched in March 2024, based on allegations by Ouraring that companies are importing and selling merchandise that copies its patented rings, which are used to monitor a user’s health and fitness, including physical activity, biological data and sleep (see 2403190052).
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Aug. 26 on the following antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CVD rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department recently initiated antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations on unwrought palladium from Russia (A-821-840/C-821-841). The AD investigation period is Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025. The CVD investigation period is calendar year 2024.
On Aug. 25, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Fish and Wildlife Service adjusted, effective Aug. 18, the civil penalties for violating FWS statutes and regulations, the agency said in a Federal Register notice. The adjustments are to account for inflation, FWS said.
The Census Bureau issued corrections this week to its August rule that will expand the types of parties responsible for submitting export filings for in-transit shipments imported to the U.S. from foreign countries before being exported to another foreign destination (see 2508130022). The rule "referenced incorrect amendatory language in the List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 30 section," Census said. The rule still takes effect Sept. 15.
South Korea is likely waiting for a more definitive trade agreement with the U.S., especially as the two countries seem to reflect differing opinions on what deals have been affirmed, according to experts' observations of the Aug. 25 meeting at the White House between President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (see 2508250065).
The Court of International Trade on Aug. 26 vacated the National Marine Fisheries Service's comparability findings on New Zealand's West Coast North Island multispecies set-net and trawl fisheries, though the court declined to compel NMFS to issue an import ban on fish and fish products from these fisheries under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
CBP improperly classified certain toy lips as candy under Harmonized Tariff Schedule Chapter 17 instead of "other toys" under Chapter 95, said importer Imaginings, doing business as Flix Candy, in a complaint last week at the Court of International Trade. Flix said that while the lips consist of two components, the plastic lips and a candy lollipop, the lips give the item its "essential character" and thus qualify the goods for Chapter 95 classification (Imaginings 3, d/b/a Flix Candy v. United States, CIT # 21-00403).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters: