Supply chain solutions provider OIA Global acquired JF Moran, a U.S.-based customs brokerage firm. In a press release about the acquisition, OIA Global said that it will expand its "trade compliance expertise" and strengthen its footprint in North America.
Singapore-headquartered Maxeon Solar Technologies is considering a challenge to CBP's decision to hold its solar panels for alleged non-compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, it said in an April 4 news release. The company said that it is "considering exercising its right to contest CBP's decision at the U.S. Court of International Trade to demonstrate that Maxeon's legacy supply chains are fully UFLPA-compliant."
A senior Chinese Commerce Ministry trade official met with representatives from more than 20 U.S. companies in Bejing on April 6 to discuss the Trump administration's "abuse of tariffs" and Beijing's retaliatory measures (see 2504040024), according to an unofficial translation of the ministry's readout of the meeting. Ling Ji, China's vice commerce minister, said he hopes American companies will "take practical actions" and "jointly maintain the stability of the global production and supply chain." He also said Beijing is committed to multilateralism. The U.S. tariffs have "seriously damaged the rules-based multilateral trading system and seriously infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries," the official said. The meeting featured officials from Tesla, GE Healthcare, Medtronic and others, China said.
Canada filed a dispute consultation request with the U.S. at the World Trade Organization on April 7, alleging that the U.S. government's 25% additional tariff on automobiles and automobile parts violate WTO obligations. The request said the duties "appear to be inconsistent with" U.S. obligations under Articles II and VIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994.
The European Commission has proposed 25% retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. goods in response to the tariffs on steel and aluminum President Donald Trump imposed last month (see 2503120042), according to a document seen by Reuters, the news service reported April 7.
The International Trade Commission seeks comments by April 16 on a Section 337 complaint alleging that imports of drug products containing C-Type natriuretic peptide variants infringe patents held by BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., it said in a notice set for April 8 publication. According to the complaint, BioMarin is seeking a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against Ascendis Pharma and Wacker Biotech to bar from entry "drug products containing a c-type natriuretic peptide variant, and components of the drug product; specifically, a prodrug of CNP, including the drug substance, the linker of the drug substance, and other components, such as the synthetic polymeric group, and vials, prefilled syringes, autoinjectors, or other presentations of TransCon CNP containing the same, for the treatment of achondroplasia," that violate the complainant's patents. The complainant said that the drugs "have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any indication, but are expected to be used for therapeutic purposes, such as treating achondroplasia in children."
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register April 7 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 has released the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on large power transformers from South Korea (A-580-867). These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD on importers for subject merchandise entered Aug. 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.
The Commerce Department has published the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on steel nails from Malaysia (A-557-816). These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD duties on importers for subject merchandise entered July 2022 through June 2023. Commerce said it made no changes to the calculations it made for the preliminary results of this review.
The Commerce Department made final affirmative antidumping duty determinations that imports of epoxy resins from China (A-570-166), India (A-533-926), South Korea (A-580-919), Taiwan (A-583-876) and Thailand (A-549-850) are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The agency imposed AD cash requirements retroactively on entries of subject merchandise from China beginning Aug. 15, 2024. For Indian, South Korean, Taiwanese and Thai exporters, suspension of liquidation and cash deposit requirements will continue for entries on or after Nov. 13, 2024, the date that the preliminary determinations were published in the Federal Register. Cash deposit rates set in these final determinations are effective April 3.