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 Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force will be scrutinizing five additional sectors for forced labor violations: caustic soda, copper, jujubes, lithium and steel, according to an Aug. 19 DHS report.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Aug. 18 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 issued its final determination in its countervailing duty investigation on sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains from China (C-570-191), finding countervailable subsidization of producers and exporters. The notice takes effect Aug. 15, but CVD cash deposit rates are unchanged in this final determination.
The Commerce Department issued its final determination in its antidumping duty investigation of sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains from China (A-570-190). The notice takes effect Aug. 15, but AD cash deposit rates are unchanged in this final determination.
New antidumping and countervailing duties take effect, retroactive to Dec. 18, 2024, for importers of seamless oil country tubular goods from Thailand, the Commerce Department said in its preliminary determination in an anti-circumvention inquiry.
On Aug. 15, the FDA posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts (after not having posted new ones for a number of days) on the detention without physical examination of:
House Democrats from Texas are asking Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to reverse his decision to end the tomato suspension agreement with Mexico.
Less than two weeks ago, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods because that country is importing Russian oil, and Russia's actions in Ukraine are "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States." He said that if Russia were to "take significant steps to address the national emergency described in section 1 of this order and align sufficiently with the United States on national security, foreign policy, and economic matters, I may further modify this order."
In the Aug. 15 International Trade Today article (see 2508150032), customs lawyer Jen Diaz asked about CBP's process for applying additional tariffs for transshipment: "How is CBP making this determination? Is CBP going to start treating this more like a forced labor evaluation?"