DHS is adding more companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, according to a notice released Oct. 31. Esquel Group, also known as Esquel China Holdings Limited; Guangdong Esquel Textile; and Turpan Esquel Textile are being added for sourcing material from Xinjiang or from persons working with the government of Xinjiang or the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for purposes of China's ‘‘poverty alleviation’’ program or ‘‘pairing-assistance’’ program, among other Chinese government labor schemes. The notice also appears to change the reason an already listed company, Changji Esquel Textile, is on the list, removing the company from one of the four lists that make up the broader UFLPA Entity List but adding it to another. The changes take effect Nov. 1.
The CBP has finally let customs brokers know how many continuing education (CE) credits they must earn and when they can start earning them so that they can maintain their broker licenses.
Customs brokers must earn a prorated 20 continuing education credits starting Jan. 1, 2025, to maintain their customs licenses, the CBP said in a notice released Oct. 31. The triennial report period ending Jan. 31, 2027, is the first that customs brokers must comply with the new continuing education requirement that CBP published as a final rule in June 2023. The notice also details CBP's criteria used to select qualified accreditors, the list of CBP-selected qualified accreditors and the period of award for these accreditors.
Executives from FloraTrace, an isotopic testing service, and Rezylient, an UFLPA insurance product, told an audience of customs brokers that isotopic testing isn't just for cotton-containing products.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Oct. 30 Federal Register on the following AD/CVD injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
The International Trade Commission seeks comments by Nov. 7 on another Section 337 complaint filed by Trina Solar on Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cells, modules and panels, this time targeting Canadian solar, the ITC said in an Oct. 30 notice. In a complaint filed Oct. 23, Trina said Canadian Solar and its affiliates, are importing infringing TOPCon cells, modules and panels that copy Trina’s patents related to the “structure and method of manufacturing a solar cell with features designed to improve efficiency and reliability." Trina, which recently filed a similar complaint against Runergy and Adani Solar (see 2410080041), seeks a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Oct. 30 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department is beginning new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on thermoformed molded fiber products from China and Vietnam, it said in a fact sheet Oct. 29. The underlying petition was filed in early October (see 2410100021). The International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determinations by Nov. 22. These AD/CVD investigations will continue only if the ITC finds injury. International Trade Today will provide more details upon publication of the initiation notices in the Federal Register.
Domestic producers recently filed petitions with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on overhead door counterbalance torsion springs from China and India. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CVD orders and the assessment of AD and CVD on importers. IDC Group, Iowa Spring Manufacturing and Service Spring requested the investigations.
Antidumping and countervailing duty investigations launched a year ago on aluminum extrusions from 14 countries will all end without the imposition of AD/CVD, after the International Trade Commission on Oct. 30 announced it didn't find injury in its investigations on China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.