Joseph Maher, former acting general counsel of DHS, has joined Nixon Peabody as partner in the national security and resilience practice, the law firm announced. Maher worked at DHS for over 21 years, where he advised "on all legal aspects of the department’s security and enforcement operations," the firm said.
Shipping company Shiplane Transport said ocean transportation firm Seaboard Marine violated the U.S. shipping regulations when it moved its containers without consent, refused to issue it a bill of lading, engaged in price fixing and solicited customers unfairly, Shiplane said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission April 3.
The Federal Maritime Commission on April 5 warned the ocean transport industry against imposing unreasonable detention and demurrage fees as shippers and carriers adjust their supply chains due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month (see 2403260047).
The International Trade Commission published notices in the April 5 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 Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register April 5 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 will retroactively suspend liquidation and require countervailing duty cash deposits for two exporters of aluminum lithographic printing plates from China (C-570-157), it said in a notice released April 5. Commerce made a new finding of critical circumstances for both individually investigated companies, Fujifilm and Shanghai National. As a result, Commerce will direct CBP to suspend liquidation and require CVD cash deposits at the rate set in its preliminary determination (see 2402290049) for any unliquidated entries from Fujifilm or Shanghai National on or after Dec. 1, 2023 (i.e., 90 days prior to Commerce’s March 1 preliminary determination). Suspension of liquidation for the "all others" exporters remains in effect for entries on or after March 1.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the following voluntary recalls April 4-5:
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 4 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established April 11, allowing importation of 6,902,347 kilograms (31,702 bales) of upland cotton, up from 6,526,283 kilograms in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 9, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 7, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2023 through February 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. and the EU will consult each other on planned action, and "may develop joint or cooperative measures to address distortionary effects on the global supply chain for legacy semiconductors," a joint statement from the ministerial meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council said. Both regions are offering government incentives to produce semiconductors, but if Chinese semiconductors are still cheaper than their own, delayed projects in Ohio and Arizona could be canceled.
American and Chinese officials discussed tariffs, export controls and market access issues during the April 2-5 first meetings of the U.S.-China Commercial Issues Working Group, both countries said in readouts after the talks.