The International Trade Administration announced that it is expanding its trade mission to Egypt April 11-16 to include companies from all industries and sectors. Companies that apply by March 14 will be considered. The mission was originally announced in June 2012, and then postponed in February.
The International Trade Administration will lead a trade policy mission to Hanoi, Vietnam and Beijing and Sanmen, China May 16-23 for the civil nuclear sector. The mission will connect U.S. companies with key contacts in the target markets, and promote U.S. market access in the two countries. Participants will have the option of observing the Association of South East Asian Nations energy cooperation workshop on May 15. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude by April 15. The ITA will review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling basis beginning April 20.
The International Trade Administration will lead a June 15-19 trade mission to the Trade Americas - Opportunities in Central America conference in San Jose, Costa Rica. Following the conference, participants will be able to participate in one-on-one business appointments arranged by the ITA. Participants may also choose to participate in stops in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize or Nicaragua after the conference for one-on-one business appointments. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude by May 17. The ITA will review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling basis beginning March 15, until the maximum of 30 participants is selected.
The Commerce Secretary will lead a May 2013 trade mission to Sao Paulo and Brasilia, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; and Panama City, Panama for export-ready firms in the infrastructure industries, including engineering, transportation, energy, and safety and security, the International Trade Administration said. The mission will include government and business-to-business meetings, market briefings, and networking events, it said. Up to 20-25 companies will be selected to participate. The ITA will begin to review applications immediately, and will evaluate applications March 8 and March 22.
The Court of International Trade dismissed Giorgio Foods’ challenge of the International Trade Commission and CBP’s refusal to disburse funds collected as antidumping and countervailing duties to Giorgio pursuant to the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA, also known as the Byrd Amendment). During the original investigation, the company had indicated no position on questionnaires on three AD duty orders on preserved mushrooms, and opposed another. CIT found two of Giorgio’s arguments, that the failure to disburse violated the Constitution on First Amendment free speech and Fifth amendment equal protection grounds, to be foreclosed by previous precedent. The court said it didn’t have jurisdiction to hear Giorgio’s final claim that defendant-intervenors unjustly enriched themselves at Giorgio’s expense by receiving some CDOSA funds to which Giorgio was entitled.
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the Court of International Trade’s ruling against a challenge to a scope ruling for the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on citric acid from China (A-570-937 / C-570-938). Plaintiff Global Commodities Group had argued its product containing both Chinese and third-country citric acid met the scope’s exclusion for blends of citric acid with other ingredients. According to GCG, the third-country citric acid is an “other ingredient,” and met the scope’s 60% by weight threshold for exclusion. Despite finding GCG’s interpretation “not entirely frivolous,” CAFC said it owed the International Trade Administration deference on interpretation of the scope. The interpretation was reasonable, so the court let CIT’s ruling stand.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website March 7, 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 Court of International Trade sustained the International Trade Administration’s reversal of a scope ruling for the antidumping duty order on wooden bedroom furniture from China, after remanding twice on the ITA’s treatment of Legacy Classic Furniture’s product. The ITA had originally found the combination bench/storage unit in scope based on the scope’s explicit inclusion of chests, but CIT in its second remand said the product is clearly an excluded bench, which outweighs its arguable inclusion as a chest. In light of the court’s findings, the ITA found the “Heritage Court Bench” out of the scope of the AD duty order. The ITA also gave a short explanation of its policy when scope inclusions and exclusions are in conflict with regard to a product.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the March 7 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 Administration published notices in the March 7 Federal Register on the following AD/CV proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):