CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted on CBP's website June 11, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.
Importers of H5 avian influenza virus variants must obtain a permit from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for variants that cause human disease, according to a June 12 CSMS message from CBP. On the other hand, for variants that don't cause human disease, such as attenuated strains that are no longer infectious, an importer certification statement should be included to avoid potential shipping delays, the message said. CDC is conducting the permit program in conjunction with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Veterinary Services (VS) and the Organisms and Vectors (OV) Permitting Unit, pursuant to 9 C.F.R. Part 122, which is the regulation governing the handling of organisms related to viruses, serums, toxins and analogous products. Questions may be directed to importpermit@cdc.gov or to APHIS/DASAT at 301-851-2070 or DASAT@usda.gov.
CBP has levied actions against Besttn Industry of South El Monte, California, for working with Kingway Pipe of China to evade antidumping and countervailing duties on cast iron soil pipe fittings and cast iron soil pipes from China.
Texas United Chemical Company (TUCC) of Dallas evaded antidumping duties when importing xanthan gum from China and will face action per the Enforce and Protect Act, CBP ruled recently.
There was no disagreement at a June 12 hearing on the need to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act before it expires about 15 months from now, and Democrats and Republicans on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade also talked about changing the terms of "graduation" from AGOA. Democrats on the committee were more vocal than members of the Republican majority about the need to change AGOA before renewing it.
HMM Co. Ltd., formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd., has charged unfair demurrage and detention fees for inland transportation since 2020, Samsung Electronics America (SEA) alleged in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission on May 30.
The Canada Border Services Agency has reached a tentative labor agreement with union members working for the agency, staving off a potential strike or work stoppage (see 2406100049). The renewed collective agreement will apply to approximately 11,000 employees after it’s ratified, according to a June 11 release from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
FTC on June 11 released final amendments to its trade regulation rule related to power output claims for amplifiers utilized in home entertainment products. The changes take effect Aug. 12. The amendments, which had undergone a public review and comment period, require sellers making power-related claims to calculate power output using uniform testing methods to allow consumers to easily compare amplifier sound quality; prescribe disclosure language that improves differentiation between power output claims that comply with the rule’s testing methods and those that do not; and modernize as well as clarify rule language considering these modifications. The amendments also formalize prior FTC guidance on applying the rule to multichannel amplifiers. FTC first promulgated the Amplifier Rule in 1974 to address sellers’ failure to provide essential pre-purchase information regarding the performance of home entertainment amplifiers.
The Federal Maritime Commission this week updated its record of cases and decisions related to shipping violations “that may be significant or establish legal precedent.” The 132-page document covers cases that took place from June through December 2023, including various settlement approvals, orders not to review, a charge complaint and more.