The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes April 29 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 Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to revise the voluntary Standards for Grades of Okra by removing the “Unclassified” section from the standards. The section is no longer necessary, because it is not a grade and only shows that no grade has been applied a given lot, said AMS. The revision would bring okra standards in line with current marketing practices and other commodity standards, the agency said. Comments are due by May 31.
The Department of Agriculture is waiving some Refined Sugar Re-Export Program restrictions, effective May 1. USDA said the “waivers will facilitate a re-balancing of re-export program license amounts and provide greater flexibility to offset exports and transfers with raw sugar imports.”
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for April 30:
Port workers are entitled to Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act benefits only if their worksites directly abut navigable waters, said the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. As a result, New Orleans Depot Services (NODSI) does not have to pay a workers compensation claim to a container mechanic that worked at its facility 300 yards from the Intracoastal Canal in New Orleans, it said. The appeals court’s ruling overturns its own precedent on the issue, adopting instead the 3rd Circuit’s more restrictive definition of “adjoining” navigable waters.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 29, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
The International Trade Commission voted to begin an investigation into whether imports of sleep-disordered breathing treatment systems and components are violating Section 337 by infringing patents held by ResMed. The products are used in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea by delivering pressurized air to the user to keep that user’s breathing passages open during sleep, the petition for investigation said (see 13040201). According to ResMed, Apex Medical makes infringing breathing treatment systems abroad, and imports them into the U.S. through its affiliate Apex Medical USA. Medical Depot, which does business as Drive Medical Design & Manufacturing, also imports infringing breathing treatment systems it buys from Apex Medical, the complaint alleged. ResMed is requesting the ITC issue limited exclusion and cease and desist orders against the proposed respondents.
Steel shelving used in wine coolers, beverage coolers, and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant cooling units fall within the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on kitchen appliance shelving and racks from China (A-570-941 / C-570-942), said the Commerce Department April 22. U.S. importer U-Line Corporation had requested the scope ruling, arguing the shelves fell outside of the scope because they are not for use in residential refrigerators. But according to the Commerce department, the end use of the racks is irrelevant, and the shelving met the dimensional criteria set forth in the scope.
On April 26 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
On April 26, the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports: