The Foreign Trade Zones Board announced that it has scheduled two new grantee-focused webinars. The first webinar, on March 14, 2012 at 1:00 pm, will cover grantees’ submitting their annual reports to the FTZ Board via the Online FTZ Information System (OFIS). The webinar content will be specific to grantees’ reviewing operator reports and filling out and submitting their annual report to the FTZ Board using OFIS.
Brian Feito
Brian Feito, Managing Editor, International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
The International Trade Commission is asking for comments by approximately March 17, 2012 on a patent complaint filed on behalf of Fabri-Kal Corporation which alleges violations of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the U.S., the sale for importation, and the sale within the U.S. after importation of certain food containers, cups, plates, cutlery, and related items, and packaging thereof (D/N 2883). ITC is asking for comments on any public interest issues that might affect ITC consideration, including whether the issuance of an exclusion order and/or cease and desist order would impact the public interest.
The International Trade Commission is asking for comments by approximately March 17, 2012 on a patent complaint filed on behalf of Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc. which alleges violations of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the U.S., the sale for importation, and the sale within the U.S. after importation of certain consumer electronics and display devices and products containing same (D/N 2882). ITC is asking for comments on any public interest issues that might affect ITC consideration, including whether the issuance of an exclusion order and/or cease and desist order would impact the public interest.
The International Trade Commission has announced that it is considering what the effects of a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders directed against certain semiconductor chips and products containing same (337-TA-753) would have upon the public welfare, competition conditions in the U.S., and U.S. consumers, in light of a March 2, 2012 Administrative Law Judge recommended determination on remedy and bonding. Comments are due by March 26, 2012.
The International Trade Administration published a notice correcting its March 1, 2012 opportunity to request administrative reviews to correct the review period for polyvinyl alcohol from Taiwan (A-583-841). Specifically, while the original notice stated that the review period is 09/13/11 -- 02/29/12, the correct period of review is 09/13/10 - 02/29/12.
The International Trade Administration has issued the preliminary results of its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Vietnam (A-552-802) for 34 companies and the Vietnam-wide entity (unchanged since last review). 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 these companies.
On February 28, 2012, the Office of Management and Budget released the United States-Mexico High-Level Regulatory Cooperation Council (HLRCC) Work Plan, which is an outline of activities, to be carried out by the HLRCC for a period of two years, with regard to reducing administrative burdens and aligning regulations between the U.S. and Mexico. The HLRCC's plan will be reviewed and modified as appropriate, on an annual basis. The Plan focuses on several sectoral issues in the following areas: food, transportation, nanotechnology, e-health, oil and gas drilling, and conformity assessment.
The Department of Energy announced that it is establishing the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC), which will provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy on matters concerning the DOE’s Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards Program’s test procedures and rulemaking process. Nominations for members are due by April 2, 2012.
The International Trade Administration released new data on March 6, 2012, showing that international merchandise trade exports from 377 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) totaled $1.13 trillion in 2010. ITA states that much of the growth in exports in the largest metropolitan areas, such as New York, Houston, and Los Angeles was concentrated particularly in transportation equipment, chemical manufacturing and other general manufacturing. According to the ITA, since the launch of the President’s National Export Initiative in 2010, merchandise exports from MSAs have increased 15.4% over 2009 levels.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) released a report on March 8, 2012 entitled, “Occupying the Information High Ground: Chinese Capabilities for Computer Network Operations and Cyber Espionage.” The report details how China is advancing its capabilities in computer network attack, defense, and exploitation and examines issues related to cybersecurity, China, and potential risks to U.S. national security and economic interests. The report was prepared for the USCC by Northrop Grumman Corp, and is a follow-up to an earlier 2009 report.