The Agricultural Marketing Service released the Ocean Shipping Container Availability Report (OSCAR) for the week of Jan. 16-22. The weekly report contains data on container availability for westbound transpacific traffic at 18 intermodal locations in the U.S.1 from the eight member carriers of the Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA).2 Although the report is compiled by AMS, it covers container availability for all merchandise, not just agricultural products.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the Jan. 17 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will appear in another ITT article):
The International Trade Commission is asking for comments by about Jan. 26 on public interest factors related to Radio System Corp.’s Jan. 14 patent complaint against bark control dog collars imported by Sunbeam. According to the complaint, Sunbeam’s “Advanced Bark Control Collar” and “Mini Bark Control Collar” infringe RSC’s patents. RSC is requesting a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order prohibiting entry and sale of the bark control collars, which RSC says Sunbeam imports from China.
The International Trade Administration preliminarily decided to rescind a new shipper review of certain preserved mushrooms from China (A-570-851), after finding respondent Shandong Yinfeng Rare Fungus Corp. didn’t meet the minimum requirements for such a review. If the ITA continues in the final results of this new shipper review to find Yinfeng isn’t eligible, it will end the bond option on entries of subject merchandise exported by Yinfeng and continue to treat the company as part of the China-wide entity. The ITA won’t end suspension of liquidation, however, until it completes a concurrent administrative review of preserved mushrooms from China, it said.
The International Trade Commission voted unanimously Jan. 16 that dumped and subsidized imports of steel wire garment hangers (A-552-812 / C-552-813) from Vietnam are injuring U.S. industry. As a result, the International Trade Administration will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on the merchandise. In December, the ITA found AD and CV rates for hangers from Vietnam of 257 to 220.68 percent, and 31.58 to 90.42 percent, respectively.
On Jan. 16 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
On Jan. 16 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 16 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 Bureau of Industry and Security denied the export privileges of two men, and added both to the Denied Persons List, after they were convicted for two unconnected illegal export schemes. Jerome Stuart Pendzich of Tennessee, currently serving a 46-month sentence for the attempted export of level IV ballistics small arms protective inserts to Colombia without the required State Department authorization, will have his export privileges denied for the 10 years ending Oct. 12, 2021. BIS also denied the export privileges of James Allen Larrison of Pennsylvania, sentenced to 24 months of probation for attempting to export two Hitachi junction units to Iran without the required Office of Foreign Assets Control authorization, for the five years ending June 23, 2016.
The Bureau of Industry and Security opened registration for its Eighth Annual Export Control Forum, set for Feb. 25-26 in Newport Beach, Calif. The conference will be a streamlined, west-coast version of the agency’s annual Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy, BIS said, scheduled for a day and a half instead of three days. Policy management, technical, legal, and enforcement personnel from BIS and other relevant agencies will provide detailed information on recent and upcoming export control changes. Day one will conclude with a networking reception. Day two will continue in plenary session. There will be no breakout sessions as in previous years. BIS said it will post the agenda for the conference shortly. Registration is here, and costs $525.