The threat of the Trump administration's tariff policy looms over the upcoming USMCA review, causing former officials involved in the initial negotiations to warn that the review may turn into a non-stop renegotiation complicated by tariff discussions.

Target General Merchandise's string light models are properly classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading 9405 as lamps with a "permanently fixed light source" not specified elsewhere in the tariff schedule and not under heading 8543 as parts of electrical machines having individual functions not specified elsewhere in the chapter, the Court of International Trade held on Aug. 13. Judge Lisa Wang ruled that Target's seven models of string lights specifically fall under subheading 9405.30.00 as lighting sets "of a kind used for Christmas trees.”

The Census Bureau is finalizing a rule that will expand the types of parties responsible for submitting export filings for in-transit shipments that are imported to the U.S. from foreign countries before being exported to another foreign destination. The agency also is adding new language to acknowledge that those parties rely on information from others to make sure the shipments comply with export controls, said it plans to eventually move forward with a new country of origin reporting requirement for in-transit exports, revised its detention for "ultimate consignee" and made other clarifications to the Foreign Trade Regulations.

The International Trade Commission published notices in the Aug. 12 Federal Register on the following antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):

The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Aug. 12 on the following antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CVD rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):

The Commerce Department has published the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from Turkey (A-489-829), calculating an 18.87% AD rate for Colakoglu Metalurji A.S. and affiliated company Colakoglu Dis Ticaret A.S., the mandatory respondent. If the agency's finding is continued in the final results, importers of subject merchandise from Colakoglu entered between July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, would be assessed AD at importer-specific rates. A new 18.87% AD cash deposit rate would take effect for Colakoglu upon publication of the final results in the Federal Register.

The Commerce Department has released the preliminary results of an antidumping duty administrative review on common alloy aluminum sheet from South Africa (A-791-825). The final results of this review will be used to set importer assessments for one South African company for the period April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.

The Commerce Department has published the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from Germany (A-428-844). The agency calculated a zero percent AD rate for AG der Dillinger Huttenwerke. If the agency's finding is continued in the final results, importers of subject merchandise from Dillinger entered May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2024, won't be assessed AD, and future entries from Dillinger wouldn't be subject to an AD cash deposit requirement until further notice. Any changes to rates for Dillinger would take effect on the date of publication in the Federal Register of the final results of this review.

The Commerce Department has published the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on wooden cabinets and vanities from China (A-570-106). The administrative review now covers 21 companies, including two mandatory respondents, that remain out of 70 after Commerce rescinded the review for 49 companies with no reviewable, suspended entries or for which a review request was timely withdrawn (see Appendix IV of the notice).

On Aug. 11, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of: