Automakers and their suppliers are telling the Biden administration in comments submitted ahead of an upcoming report that not having a form for certificate of origin has paradoxically made compliance more difficult. They also said that companies are having a difficult time certifying how much workers in the supply chain earn, and that the absence of final USMCA regulations are all problems for trade compliance in the more than three years since USMCA took effect.
AIT Worldwide Logistics acquired the Netherlands-based Global Transport Solutions Group, a “prominent international freight forwarder specializing in time-critical marine spare parts logistics,” AIT said in a Feb. 1 news release. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Lori Wallach, a long-time free-trade skeptic, urged listeners to her Rethink Trade podcast to call their members of Congress and say: "I am scared silly about the abuse of this outrageous de minimis loophole. What is the congressman going to do to close this loophole?"
The International Trade Commission is adding DET Logistics (USA) Corporation as a respondent to its ongoing Section 337 investigation on power converter modules (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1370), it said in a Feb. 1 notice. DET joins Delta, Quanta and Foxconn as respondents to the investigation, which was launched in August based on a complaint from Vicor (see 2308160011). Vicor said the companies are importing power converter modules and computing systems that infringe on three of Vicor's patents related to power system technologies used in high density and high efficiency applications like "high-end" computing. The ITC is considering a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders in the case.
The International Trade Commission seeks comments by Feb. 13 on a Section 337 complaint recently filed by Pax Labs that seeks a ban on imports of hemp and cannabis oil vaporizing devices from ALD and Stiiizy that allegedly infringe on its patents, the ITC said in a notice released Feb. 2. Pax said in its Jan. 30 complaint that Stiiizy and ALD, as well as their subsidiaries, are copying Pax’s patented technologies for managing condensation and leakage from hemp and cannabis oil vaporizers. Pax seeks a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against Stiiizy and ALD.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Feb. 2 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 intends to exempt lithographic-grade aluminum sheet from antidumping duties on common alloy aluminum sheet from Germany (A-428-849), it said in the preliminary results of a changed circumstances review. Eastman Kodak Company requested the exemption, and the original petitioner for the AD order on German aluminum sheet, Aluminum Association Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet Trade Enforcement Working Group, as well as two other domestic producers, said they don't oppose it.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the following voluntary recalls Feb. 1:
On Feb. 1, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced Feb. 1 that Special Import Quota #16 for upland cotton will be established Feb. 8, allowing importation of 6,199,761 kilograms (28,475 bales) of upland cotton, the same as the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than May 7, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Aug. 5, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the September through November 2023 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.