Imports of xanthan gum from Austria (A-433-811) and China (A-570-985) are being dumped in the U.S. at less than fair value, said the International Trade Administration as it announced its preliminary determinations. The ITA will accordingly tell CBP to require cash deposits on entries of merchandise subject to these investigations. The ITA found preliminary AD rates for xanthan gum from Austria and China of 17.18 percent, and 21.69 to 154.07 percent, respectively. The official notice of the ITA's preliminary determinations, which will trigger the implementation of the AD cash deposit requirements for subject merchandise, will be published in the Federal Register soon.
The Food and Drug Administration proposed its produce safety rule Jan. 4, alongside its proposed rule on Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventative Controls. The produce safety rule would apply to farms that grow, harvest, pack, or hold covered produce, including foreign farms that export to the U.S., with certain exceptions. Under the upcoming Foreign Supplier Verification Program, imports will have to verify their foreign suppliers’ compliance with either produce safety regulations or HARPC requirements, depending on the product being imported. The proposed produce safety rule is currently on public inspection, and is set for publication in the Jan. 16 Federal Register. See a future issue of International Trade Today for details.
On Jan. 4 the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced changes Jan. 4 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 Food Safety and Inspection Service plans a Jan. 17 meeting, alongside the Food and Drug Administration, to discuss agenda items and draft U.S. positions in advance of the Feb. 4-8 session of the Ad Hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding. The meeting will be from 1-3 p.m. at the Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C. Participation by teleconference is available by calling 1-888-858-2144, participant code 6208658.
With the March 31 deadline for filing 2012 Foreign Trade Zone annual reports approaching, the FTZ Board will hold a series of webinars on submission of reports through the Online FTZ Information System (OFIS). The webinars will supplement training videos and tutorials on the FTZ Board’s website (here), it said. The webinars will be held on the following dates:
The Bureau of Industry Security plans a partially open meeting of the Information Systems Technical Advisory Committee Jan. 23-24 in San Diego. In the Jan. 23 public session, ISTAC will hear working group reports and industry presentations. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first served basis. To join the conference, submit inquiries to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov by Jan. 16.
The Bureau of Industry Security scheduled a partially open meeting of the Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee (SITAC) Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C. In the public session, SITAC will hear remarks from BIS management, hear industry presentations, and discuss new business. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first served basis. To join the conference, submit inquiries to Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov no later than Jan. 22.
Allegheny Steel Corp. and North American Stainless appealed the Court of International Trade’s November dismissal of a challenge to the results of a sunset review that resulted in the 2010 revocation of the antidumping duty orders on stainless steel sheet and strip from Italy, Germany, and Mexico. In its injury determination in the sunset review, the International Trade Commission had said that ThyssenKrupp’s U.S. subsidiary had effectively become part of U.S. industry, and had effective control over imports from affiliates in Italy, Germany, and Mexico. CIT upheld that determination.
Judge William Bryson retired from active service on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Jan. 6. Bryson has been a member of the court since 1994. He will continue to hear cases as a judge in senior status.