The Court of International Trade sustained the International Trade Administration’s decision to include plaintiffs Jiangsu Changbao Steel Tube and Jiangsu Changbao Precision Tube as part of the China-wide entity, with an AD rate of 99.14 percent, in the antidumping investigation of oil country tubular goods from China (A-570-943). The ITA had found that misrepresentations by company officials during an on-site verification, as well as discrepancies in the company’s accounting programs, impeached the credibility of all statements made by Changbao officials and supported by Changbao’s accounting records. The ITA then disregarded all submissions by Changbao during the investigation, including the company’s separate rate application, resulting in the China-wide rate.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website Dec. 19, 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 http://1.usa.gov/VxGCVA. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
The World Customs Organization on Dec. 17 published its tariff classification rulings, as well as changes to the Harmonized System Explanatory Notes and amendments to the WCO Compendium of Classification Opinions, from the 50th session of the Harmonized System Committee (HSC) in September. Importers or exporters should verify implementation of these decisions in the relevant country before relying upon them, the WCO said.
Mexico's Diario Oficial of Dec. 19, lists notices from the Secretary of the Economy as follows:
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the Dec. 19 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):
Tobacco Import USA’s hookah charcoal tablets are outside the scope of the antidumping duty order on certain activated carbon from China (A-570-904), said the International Trade Administration in a Dec. 17 scope ruling. While the language of the AD duty order’s scope says it covers “all forms of activated carbon that are activated by steam or [carbon dioxide],” the hookah charcoal tablets do not undergo such an activation process. “In fact, the tablets at issue do not undergo any activation during the manufacturing process,” the ITA said.
The International Trade Administration found dumping and illegal subsidization by exports of steel wire garment hangers from Vietnam (A-552-812 / C-552-813) in its final determinations from the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, it announced. AD rates in the final determination for Vietnamese exporters range from 150.83 to 214.51 percent, as adjusted for export subsidies. CV rates range from 31.58 to 90.42 percent. The International Trade Commission is set to make its final injury determination by Jan. 31, and AD/CV duty orders will issue if the ITC finds injury.
The International Trade Administration found dumping and illegal subsidization of imports of utility scale wind towers from China (A-570-981 / C-570-982), as well as dumping of imports of wind towers from Vietnam (A-552-814), it said as it concluded these antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. The International Trade Commission is set to make its final injury determination by Jan. 31, after which the ITA will issue AD/CV duty orders if the ITC finds injury.
On Dec. 18 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration threatened device importer and distributor Prime Herbs Corp. with seizure, injunction, and civil monetary penalties for a host of violations that caused FDA to declare the company’s infrared heating lamp adulterated and misbranded. The warning letter, dated Dec. 10, alleges violations of current good manufacturing practice regulations, Medical Device Reporting violations, unapproved marketing, and failure to provide adequate directions for use. FDA said the violations could also affect the awarding of government contracts, as well as premarket approval for related products.