Ouraring and its Finland-based parent company Oura Health seek a ban on imports of smart ring wearable devices that allegedly infringe on its patents, the ITC said in a notice March 19. In a complaint filed March 13, Ouraring said India-based Ultrahuman and two of its affiliates, as well as China-based Guangdong Jiu Zhi Technology Co. Ltd. and its U.S. affiliate RingConn LLC, and France-based Circular SAS, are making smart rings that copy the patented technologies in Ouraring’s Oura Ring. The rings are used to monitor a user’s health and fitness, including physical activity, biological data and sleep. Ouraring seeks a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against UltraHuman, Jiu Zhi and Circular. Comments are due to the ITC by March 27.
On March 18, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., claimed victory after the Commerce Department announced it isn't reducing antidumping duties on Vietnamese catfish from $2.39/kg to $0.14/kg (see 2403130061). They and other Southern Republicans had decried the preliminary decision earlier this year (see 2401220029). They said that reduction in duties ignored more than 20 years of precedent in the case, and would "also set a troubling precedent for the approximately 250 [non-market economy] proceedings involving communist governments before the Commerce Department."
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is scheduled to mark up a bill on March 20 that would direct the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration to undertake a study on whether routers and modems designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by Chinese firms, or firms from other adversary countries, are a risk to national security.
The White House told the Senate that it strongly opposes an effort to undo the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's finding that fresh beef imports from Paraguay are safe.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted on CBP's website March 18, 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 CBP's ADCVD Search page.
New USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program requirements are mandatory starting on March 19, CBP said in a CSMS message on March 19. The message reminded the trade public of the USDA Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule on January 2023 that required electronic National Organic Program import certificates for organic agricultural products (see 2301180051).
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The American Apparel and Footwear Association's vice president for trade and customs policy is hearing that a higher competitive needs limitation will be part of a Generalized System of Preferences benefits program renewal.