The International Trade Commission is issuing limited exclusion orders and cease and desist orders banning eight U.S. companies from importing and selling tires that infringe patents on tread and sidewall design held by Toyo Tires. The ITC said West KY Customs, Tire & Wheel Master, Vittore Wheel & Tire, RTM Wheel & Tire, Turbo Wholesale Tires, Lexani Tires Worldwide, WTD, and Simple Tire did not respond to requests to participate in the Section 337 investigation, which began in September 2013 (see 13091706), so the agency automatically found them to be in violation. The Obama administration will now have 60 days to review the import bans and decide whether to veto them. Tires may be imported by the companies during the review period, but will be subject to bond set by the ITC at 100 percent of entered value. With its investigation complete for all other respondents, the ITC also terminated the proceeding.
The Commerce Department published notices in the July 29 Federal Register on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department issued the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from China (A-570-865). The agency said the Baosteel group (comprising Baosteel Group Corporation, Shanghai Baosteel International Economic & Trading Co., Ltd., and Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd.), had no exports of subject merchandise to the U.S. during the period under review. If Commerce's "no shipments" finding for Baosteel is continued in the final results, the company won't get a new AD rate. Instead, subject merchandise from Baosteel will continue to enter at AD rates set in the most recent previous review. Commerce will make its final decision when it issues the final results of this review, currently due in November.
On July 28 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
During the week of July 21-27, the Food and Drug Administration modified the following existing Import Alerts (not otherwise listed on the FDA's new and revised import alerts page) on the detention without physical examination and/or surveillance of:
The Food and Drug Administration may continue to refuse imports of active pharmaceutical ingredients from a Chinese drug conglomerate after an inspection by agency officials detailed violations of current good manufacturing practice requirements, it said in a warning letter dated July 9. FDA said until the violation are corrected, it may keep APIs made by Zhejiang Jiuzhou Pharmaceutical or exported by its trading company Zhejiang Zonebanner Jiuzhou Imp. & Exp. on import alert.
The Food and Drug Administration recently warned two seafood processors in Japan and India that it may begin refusing imports from the companies unless they correct violations of seafood hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) regulations. In a warning letter to Sushi Den Japan dated June 24 (here), FDA said the company lacks a HACCP plan for its bonito, yellowtail, spanish mackerel, and jack mackerel, and said it considers the fish adulterated as a result. FDA also sent a warning letter dated June 2 to Accelerated Freeze Drying in Cochin, India (here), alleging deficiencies in the company’s HACCP plans for freeze dried shrimp. FDA told both companies that, unless the violations are corrected, it would put fish products from the facilities on import alert and refuse admission. FDA also said it will have to reinspect the facilities to ensure compliance, and will charge the companies’ U.S. agents for reinspection.
The Food and Drug Administration is adjusting medical device user fees for fiscal year 2015, it said in a July 30 notice. The agency will decrease fees across the board, except for fees related to annual establishment registration, which are set to rise from $3,313 to $3,646. The new fees take effect Oct. 1, and will run until Sept. 30, 2015.
On July 28 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service is amending its regulations to allow importation of fresh blueberries from Morocco into the continental U.S., in a final rule that takes effect Aug. 29. As a condition of entry, Moroccan blueberries will have to be produced and treated in a way that protects against certain pests, and will have to be inspected in Morocco and found to be pest-free. The blueberries will also have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Moroccan government.