The official proclamation implementing an announcement in mid-May on changes to the 14.25% tariffs on imported solar panels and the tariff rate quotas on imported cells was issued by the White House on June 21.
A "back to basics" webinar on de minimis presented by CBP, which was watched by more than 1,900 in the trade community, didn't elaborate on the suspensions of customs brokers from Type 86, though CBP official Felicia Pullam said the agency has heard "a lot of concern in the trade community about this enforcement."
The International Intellectual Property Alliance hired Pete Mehravari as its director of policy and legal affairs. He came to IIPA from leading the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Global Intellectual Property Academy, and previously worked as an intellectual property attaché at embassies in the Middle East and North Africa. Kevin Rosenbaum, IIPA’s executive director, said, “Pete has been a trusted intellectual property champion with the U.S. government for over a decade, and I am thrilled he is now bringing his international IP policy experience, enthusiasm, and results-based advocacy to IIPA and its members. I look forward to working with him to improve international copyright protection and enforcement and otherwise open foreign markets for the U.S. creative industries.”
Andrew Douglas, the former acting port director at Laredo Port of Entry, the busiest inland commercial crossing, has been named area port director for Los Angeles International Airport, six other airports in California and Nevada, five express consignment facilities, an international mail facility, and other air cargo operations in the region. He will oversee air cargo, agricultural compliance and international passenger traffic. The announcement comes about four months after Cheryl Davies, the previous area port director for the L.A. airport, left the position to become director of CBP’s L.A. Field Office (see 2402270016).
The International Trade Commission published notices in the June 20 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 has released the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on alloy and certain carbon steel threaded rod from China (A-570-104). Commerce said it continued to find that the only company subject to the review, Ningbo Dongxin High-Strength Nut Co., Ltd., sold subject merchandise at less than fair value and made no changes to its preliminary assignment of a 35.1% dumping margin. Commerce will assess antidumping duties at this rate on subject merchandise from Ningbo Dongxin entered April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023. A 35.1% AD cash deposit rate for Ningbo Dongxin takes effect June 21, the date these final results are to be published in the Federal Register.
The EPA is setting exemptions from pesticide tolerances for residues of certain chemicals when put to specific uses, it said in a final rule released June 20. The exemptions, effective June 21, will apply to certain residues of poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), polymer with 1,2-ethandiol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, hexanedioic acid, 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,3- benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,1′-methylenebis[4-isocyanatobenzene] and 2-ethyl-2- (hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol. These chemicals are exempt from pesticide tolerances when “used as an inert ingredient in a pesticide chemical formulation,” the agency said. The EPA said agricultural producers, food manufacturers or pesticide manufacturers may be affected. The agency is accepting feedback, including objections and requests for hearings, until Aug. 20.
On June 18, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
A joint statement of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Kazakhstan's president, released almost a week after USTR Katherine Tai's visit to Kazakhstan, noted that Kazakhstan values the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program as a way to diversify the destinations of its exports. The GSP has been expired for more than three years, but Tai said she generally supports Congress' efforts to "revitalize and renew the Generalize System of Preferences program." The statement also noted that Kazakhstan would like permanent normal trading relations with the U.S.; it's still subject to the Jackson-Vanik amendment, as are other former Soviet Union republics Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports PNTR for Kazakhstan (see 2001090055).
A bipartisan letter from six senators is asking CBP and USDA to do more to verify that used cooking oil that is imported is truly used, and not blended with virgin palm oil. Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Roger Marshall, R-Kan., led the June 20 letter, with support from Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Deb Fischer, R-Neb.