Improving trade for U.S. cars in Europe is "clearly the priority" for American trade negotiators, according to European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who had a four-hour meeting Feb. 19 with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. trade representative nominee Jamieson Greer and Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council.
The former chief textiles and apparel negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has been hired as the National Council of Textile Organizations vice president of policy. Katherine White previously worked as a trade counsel at the House Ways and Means Committee and as a program analyst at the International Trade Administration.
The Department of Energy is delaying the effective date of a final rule that amends the energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters, it said in a Federal Register notice. DOE also is seeking comment on the delay, as well as any comment on any legal, factual or policy issues related to the rule.
The Department of Energy is delaying the effective date of a final rule that adopted amended conservation standards for walk-in coolers and freezers, it said in a Federal Register notice. DOE also is seeking comment on the delay, including impacts that may result, as well as any comment on any legal, factual or policy issues related to the rule, the notice said.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Feb. 19 Federal Register on the following antidumping and countervailing duty (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 is issuing a limited exclusion order banning imports of power converter modules (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1370) from Taiwanese companies Delta and Quanta, Chinese company Foxconn, and their subsidiaries, it said in a notice to be published Feb. 20. Additionally, the ITC issued cease and desist orders against the U.S.-based subsidiaries of the companies but imposed no bond for covered articles imported or sold during the period of presidential review. The order concludes a Section 337 investigation the ITC launched in August 2023, based on allegations by Vicor Corporation that the respondents are importing power converter modules and computing systems that infringe three of Vicor's patents related to power system technologies used in high density and high efficiency applications like "high-end" computing (see 2308160011).
The International Trade Commission is issuing a limited exclusion order banning imports of icemaking machines and their components (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1369) from U.S. company Blue Air FSE, and Bluenix of South Korea, it said in a notice to be published Feb. 20. Additionally, the ITC issued cease and desist orders against the companies and a bond of 49% of the entered value for covered articles imported or sold during the period of presidential review. The order concludes a Section 337 investigation the ITC launched in August 2023, based on allegations by Hoshizaki America that the respondents are importing icemaking machines and their components that copy and infringe its patented designs.
The International Trade Commission is beginning a Section 337 investigation on polyvinylidene fluoride resins (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1439), after receiving allegations filed by Syensqo and Solvay Specialty Polymers that five Chinese companies are importing products that infringe its patents, the agency said in a press release Feb. 14.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Feb. 19 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 is setting new antidumping duty cash deposit requirements for imports of tungsten shot from China (A-570-178), after finding sales at less than fair value by Chinese producers in the preliminary determination of its AD investigation. Suspension of liquidation and cash deposit requirements take effect for entries on or after Feb. 19.