The International Trade Administration issued the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review of laminated woven sacks from China (A-570-916) for one company, Zibo Aifudi Plastic Packaging Co., Ltd. The ITA said Aifudi did not cooperate in the review, so it assigned the company the China-wide rate. 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 International Trade Administration initiated administrative reviews for certain firms subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders with December anniversary dates. The ITA intends to issue the final results of these reviews no later than Dec. 31, 2013.
On Jan. 28 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alert on the detention without physical examination of:
During the week of Jan. 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:
On Jan. 28 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 28 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 Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service is proposing to allow imports of fresh apricots from continental Spain. The imports would have to meet certain conditions, including: registration of production locations and packinghouses, pest monitoring, sanitary practices, chemical and biological controls, and phytosanitary treatment. The fruit would also have to be imported in commercial consignments, with each consignment identified throughout its movement from place of production to port of entry in the U.S., APHIS said. Consignments would have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Spain certifying that the fruit is free from all quarantine pests and has been produced in accordance with the systems approach. Comments are due by April 1.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to allow importation of avocados from continental Spain, with some conditions. The avocados would have to be produced “in accordance with a systems approach” that would include: requirements for importing in commercial consignments; registration and monitoring of places of production and packinghouses; grove sanitation; and inspection for quarantine pests by the national plant protection organization of Spain. Consignments of avocados other than the Hass variety would also have to be treated for the Mediterranean fruit fly either prior to moving to the U.S. or upon arrival prior to release. Consignments would need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the avocados were grown and inspected and found to be free of pests in accordance with the proposed requirements. Comments on the APHIS proposal are due by April 1.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website Jan. 28, 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 instituted a Section 337 patent investigation to determine if imports of mobile handsets with touch keyboard capabilities are infringing patents held by Nuance Communications, Swype, Tegic Communications, and ZI Corporation. The complaint, filed on Dec. 20 and amended Jan. 11, requests exclusion and cease and desist orders. The ITC named the following as respondents: