The Commerce Department published notices in the May 1 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 1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-diphosphonic acid from India (A-533-847), calculating a preliminary zero AD rate for sole respondent Aquapharm Chemicals Pvt., Ltd. If finalized, the rate would be Aquapharm's third consecutive zero AD rate. As such, Commerce said it intends to revoke the AD duty order with respect to HEDP produced and exported by Aquapharm if it continues to find a zero AD rate in the final results. These preliminary results are not in effect. The ITA may modify them in the final results of this review and change the estimated AD cash deposit rate for this company.
The Commerce Department announced it has preliminary found dumping of imports of hardwood and decorative plywood from China (A-570-986), and will require antidumping duty cash deposits on entries of the merchandise. Entries of hardwood and decorative plywood from China are already subject to countervailing duty cash deposits (see 13031312). Imports produced and exported by the mandatory respondents, Linyi San Fortune Wood and Jianyang Group, will not be subject to the AD cash deposit requirement because the Commerce Department preliminarily found de minimis AD rates. Other companies will be subject to either a 22.14 or 63.96 percent preliminary AD rate.
On April 30 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
On April 30, the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by July 1 on a proposed rule that would allow imports of beans from Jordan into the continental U.S. The proposal covers fresh French, green, snap, and string beans, either shelled or in pods. As a condition for entry would include requirements for packing, washing, and processing, and the beans would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate from the Jordanian government.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by July 1 on its proposal to allow imports of female squash flowers from Israel into the continental U.S. As a condition of entry, the flowers would be subject to a systems approach that would include requirements for pest exclusion at the production site and fruit fly trapping and monitoring, APHIS said. They would also need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Israeli government.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it will allow imports of fresh Barhi dates from Israel, effective May 2. As conditions of importation, the dates may be imported in commercial consignments only, must be treated in accordance with 7 CFR 305 for C. capitata, and must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Israeli government.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued a final rule creating a single “controlled import permit” for authorization to import prohibited or restricted plant material for experimental, therapeutic, or developmental purposes. Effective May 31, the new permit will replace requirements for departmental permits in some cases, but APHIS-specified administrative instructions or conditions in others. The final rule adopts an October 2012 proposed rule with changes (see 11102453). According to APHIS, the new permit system “will consolidate and harmonize the conditions for obtaining authorization for the importation of otherwise prohibited or restricted plant material for scientific or certain other purposes.”
The Court of International Trade upheld a Commerce Department anti-circumvention ruling that made Vietnamese company Max Fortune’s exports subject to the antidumping duty order on tissue paper products from China (A-570-894). Max Fortune had challenged Commerce’s decision to apply adverse facts available, as well as the agency’s decision to require cash deposits instead of allowing the company to certify the origin of its exports.