The International Trade Commission has instituted a section 337 patent-based investigation of certain electronic devices, including handheld wireless communications devices, pursuant to a complaint.
CBP has posted to its Web site an additional Importer Security Filing (ISF) transaction set. CBP has also issued a CSMS message announcing changes to a record within another ISF transaction set.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Web site a frequently asked question (FAQ) document regarding its interim final rule that amended 19 CFR effective January 26, 2009, to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.
The International Trade Commission has instituted a section 337 patent-based investigation of certain cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) inverter circuits and products containing same pursuant to a complaint.
CBP has issued a CSMS message stating that it fixed a problem, at approximately 11:13 a.m. EDT on January 17, 2009, with ACE regarding difficulty submitting e-Manifests via the portal. (CBP previously issued a CSMS message stating ACE was experiencing a nationwide problem impacting the trade. CBP then issued a CSMS message stating that it expected to fix the problem by 11:00 a.m. EDT on January 17th. (CSMS 09-000047 issued 01/17/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17433&page=&srch_argv=&srchtype=&btype=&sortby=&sby=)
CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota (TRQ) and tariff preference level (TPL) commodity report as of January 12, 2009. This report includes TRQs on various products such as beef, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa products, tobacco, certain BFTA, DR-CAFTA, Israel FTA, JFTA, MFTA, SFTA, UAFTA (AFTA) and UCFTA (Chile FTA) non-textile TRQs, etc. Each report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, BFTA, DR-CAFTA, CBTPA, Haitian HOPE, MFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TPLs and TRQs for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (Note that CBP also recently posted a January 8, 2009 version of this report.) (Weekly commodity report available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)
In what it called the heftiest penalties ever sought in a rebate-related case, the Federal Trade Commission announced Tuesday a proposed court order negotiated with a company that the commission said failed to pay timely rebates to consumers nationwide. Many CE and PC product buyers received no rebate checks at all, the FTC said. The order requires a judge’s approval.
GENEVA -- A proposed voluntary premium on international telecom traffic aims to help bridge the digital divide by extending networks in developing countries. The U.S. and a group of mostly industrialized countries oppose new measures, which were proposed by a group of developing countries.
As a Feature Group IP forbearance petition on VoIP access charges heads into its final week, the company is seeing little support and much opposition from the rest of the industry. Feature Group IP, a competitive local exchange carrier serving VoIP companies, wants the FCC to rule that VoIP providers need not pay access charges to interconnect with traditional public switched telephone network carriers. Chairman Kevin Martin has circulated two orders, one granting and one refusing relief. The FCC must issue a decision by Jan. 21.
The International Trade Administration frequently issues notices on antidumping and countervailing duty orders, investigations, etc. which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued, neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period, etc.