The Federal Maritime Commission is "actively seeking information" to confirm whether ocean carriers and marine terminal operators are complying with a recent ruling about per diem detention charges, the FMC said March 23.

The International Trade Commission recently released Revision 2 to the 2023 Harmonized Tariff Schedule, adding four HTS subheadings under chapter 99 to implement Presidential Proclamation 10522 of Feb. 24, "Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States."

Critical mineral arrangements with the EU or other allies are likely to end up in court, Georgetown Law Professor Kathleen Claussen said during a discussion of the legality of a mini deal with the EU. There are two facets of the legality question -- is a sectoral agreement legal under World Trade Organization rules about nondiscrimination, and does the administration have the authority to qualify these agreements as free trade agreements, as it implements the Inflation Reduction Act.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is revoking the registration of two vehicle importers for submitting false and misleading certifications of conformance for vehicles they imported, NHTSA said in a March 14 news release. Bisbee Importing of Davison, Michigan, and Metro Auto Importer of Clinton Township, Michigan, no longer will be allowed to legally import through NHTSA’s Registered Importer program “due to serious and systemic violations of federal safety requirements,” the agency said.

The Federal Maritime Commission will amend its civil penalty regulations and procedures to align them with changes made by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. The final rule, released March 17 and effective April 19, makes changes to the language in the FMC's regulations that allows the commission to be able to "order a refund of charges" in a charge complaint proceeding, it said. The FMC also said that if a refund of charges is ordered in addition to a civil penalty, the civil penalty must be reduced so that freight carriers do not pay more than the "actual injury" caused.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the longsolid (Fusconaia subrotunda) and round hickorynut (Obovaria subrotunda), freshwater mussels found in rivers and lakes in the Eastern U.S., as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect April 10.

The Federal Communications Commission seeks additional comments on aspects of its recent order banning the import and sale of any new telecommunications equipment listed on its Covered List, which currently includes products from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua (see 2211300062), the FCC said in a notice published in the March 8 Federal Register.

The victories that countries won at the World Trade Organization over American steel and aluminum tariffs (see 2212090060) will only complicate the discussion on how to bring back binding dispute settlement, panelists said at a Washington International Trade Association event.

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity needs strong commitments on labor rights, the environment and on digital trade, among other items, a coalition of organizations and unions told the Biden administration.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the Upper Coosa River distinct population segment of the frecklebelly madtom (Noturus munitus), a fish species, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect April 3.