The International Trade Commission on May 29 voted to begin a Section 337 investigation into allegedly patent infringing imports of non-volatile memory chips. Spansion requested the investigation April 29, alleging Macronix makes flash memory chips that infringe its Spansion’s patents, which are then incorporated into products imported and sold by Acer, ADT, Amazon.com, ASRock, ASUS, Belkin, D-Link, Leap Motion, Lowe’s, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sercomm, and Vonage. Spansion is requesting an exclusion order and cease and desist orders banning import and sale of infringing flash memory chips by the following respondents:
The Commerce Department published notices in the June 2 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 is extending until Aug. 25 the deadline for its preliminary determination in the countervailing duty investigation on sugar from Mexico (C-201-846). The agency decided to postpone after finding the investigation is “extraordinarily complicated” because of the number and complexity of the subsidy programs being investigated. Cash deposits of estimated CV duties can only be collected after the preliminary determination in CV duty investigations, although cash deposits can be made retroactive 90 days from the preliminary determination if Commerce finds “critical circumstances.”
Antidumping duties on carbon and alloy steel wire rod from Ukraine are set to end, after the International Trade Commission voted on May 30 that revocation of the AD duty order would not result in resumption of injury to domestic industry. The commission voted 3-2 to revoke. It also voted to leave in place antidumping and countervailing duty orders on steel wire rod from Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Moldova, and Trinidad and Tobago.
On May 30 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration is formally reclassifying some devices used for detection of tuberculosis as Class II devices that do not require premarket approval, in a final order that takes effect June 30. "Nucleic acid-based systems for mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in respiratory specimens" had been classified in Class III, and required the filing of a premarket approval application before distribution. Although they will no longer need FDA approval, the devices will still be subject to certain extra "special controls" related to testing and labeling, and will not be exempt from premarket notification requirements.
The Food and Drug Administration reclassifying dengue virus serological reagents as Class II devices that do not require premarket approval, in an order issued May 30 that took effect April 8. The devices, which consist of antigens and antibodies for the detection of dengue virus in people who show symptoms, had been classified in Class III, and required the filing of a premarket approval application before distribution. The devices will be subject to premarket notification requirements as well as certain extra "special controls" related to performance characteristics, testing, and labeling.
On May 30 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes May 30 to Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) electronic manuals. While some changes are minor, other changes may affect the admissibility of the plant products, including fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for June 2: