GENEVA - The U.S. and Cuba traded barbs over the decades-old TV and Radio Marti broadcasting saga in late filings for the ITU Radio Regulations Board meeting this week. Cuba wants a letter from the U.S. saying TV transmissions from a tethered balloon antenna won’t resume, it said, citing a case involving 497 MHz. Cuba also wants U.S. action on broadcasts adversely affecting TV stations operating at 509 MHz.
CBP has issued its weekly tariff rate quota and tariff preference level commodity report as of November 24, 2008. 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. (Weekly commodity report available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/trade_programs/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)
The International Trade Commission has instituted a section 337 patent-based investigation of certain prepregs, laminates, and finished circuit boards pursuant to a complaint.
The World Customs Organization has posted a press release announcing that on October 22, 2008, Ecuador deposited with the WCO Secretary General its instrument of accession to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System). This makes Ecuador the 135th Contracting Party to the Harmonized System Convention. (WCO, dated 11/07/08, available at http://www.wcoomd.org/press/default.aspx?lid=1&id=168)
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.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has issued a release regarding its hosting of more than 1,000 leading suppliers, Chinese officials, and NGOs in Beijing, China. The company outlined a series of aggressive goals and expectations to build a more environmentally and socially responsible global supply chain. (Wal-Mart press release, dated 10/22/08, available at http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/8696.aspx.)
CBP has posted a memorandum announcing that the first opening of the recently increased global refined sugar tariff rate quota that is being reallocated from Mexico oversubscribed at opening. The pro rata percentage is 82.24822% or 0.8224822.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced that the interagency Section 301 Committee is soliciting public comments on the possible modification of the list of European products subject to increased tariffs in connection with World Trade Organization dispute settlement rulings in the U.S.-European Communities beef hormones dispute.
The International Trade Commission has issued a notice announcing that it has approved the initiation of a voluntary pilot mediation program for investigations under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.
The International Trade Administration and the International Trade Commission have each issued notices initiating automatic five-year Sunset Reviews on the above-listed antidumping duty orders.