The Commerce Department announced a plan to open three more satellite locations of the Patent and Trademark Office in Dallas, Denver, and Silicon Valley. The three locations are in addition to the first satellite office set to open July 13 in Detroit. According to Commerce, the new offices will reduce the backlog of unexamined patents and speed up the overall process.
The Bureau of Industry and Security announced a July 20 open meeting of the Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee (ETRAC). At the meeting, the ETRAC will hear an export control update, discuss dual use areas of concern, hear an update from the President’s Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration, discuss emerging encryption technology and its implications for researchers, and hear public comments. The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first come, first serve basis. To participate, submit inquiries to Ms. Yvette Springer at Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov, no later than July 12.
The State Department is removing its restrictions on exports and imports of defense articles and services to or from Yemen, it said in a final rule set for publication on July 3. Effective July 3, licenses or other approvals for exports or imports of defense articles destined for or originating in Yemen will be reviewed, and may be issued, on a case-by-case basis, it said. The final rule removes 22 CFR 126(u), added August 8, 2011 by a State Department final rule, which provided for a policy of denial for the export of lethal defense articles and services to Yemen.
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's web site as of June 29, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching on the listed CBP message number at http://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.)
Mexico's Diario Oficial of June 28, lists notices from the Secretary of the Economy as follows:
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman defended China's rare earth export restraints June 28, and said the restraints are in place to protect the environment, reported Xinhua. "China adjusted its export policy entirely for the sake of environmental protection instead of trade distortion or the protection of domestic industries," said spokesman Hong Lei.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the June 29 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 June 29 Federal Register on the following AD/CV proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, the scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The International Trade Administration issued a Federal Register notice on its recently initiated antidumping investigations on xanthan gum from China and Austria (A-570-985 and A-433-811, respectively). The ITA will determine whether imports of imports of xanthan gum from China and Austria are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value.
On June 28 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of: