The Commerce Department issued its final determination in its countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Cambodia (C-555-004), Malaysia (C-557-831), Thailand (C-549-852) and Vietnam (C-552-842), finding countervailable subsidization of producers and exporters in the four countries. Suspension of liquidation is currently not in effect for entries on or after Feb. 1, and Commerce will require cash deposits of estimated CVD on future entries only if it issues a CVD order.
The Commerce Department issued its final affirmative determinations in the antidumping duty investigations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Cambodia (A-555-003), Malaysia (A-557-830), Thailand (A-549-851) and Vietnam (A-552-841). Changes to cash deposit requirements set in these final determinations take effect April 25, the date they were published in the Federal Register.
Labor advocacy group International Rights Advocates filed a lawsuit this week against Starbucks on behalf of eight individuals who were trafficked and forced to work on "Starbucks-controlled coffee plantations in Brazil." The complaint, brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks class certification for all trafficked laborers in Brazil and alleges that Starbucks knowingly benefitted from this slave labor, which took place on thousands of supplier plantations (John Doe I v. Starbucks Corporation, D.D.C. # 25-01261).
George Bogden, the executive director of CBP's Office of Trade Relations, is no longer employed at the agency, the administration said April 24.
Experts predicted that a trade deal between the United States and China is unlikely in the short term and that any deal will depend on "some sort of down payment" by China before negotiations can begin.
The U.S. joined a case against importer Barco Uniforms, companies that supply Barco and the two individuals that control the suppliers for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying customs duties on apparel imports, DOJ announced. The suit was originally filed in 2016 under the FCA's whistleblower provision by Toni Lee, the former director of product commercialization at Barco. The U.S. intervened in the case, filing a complaint on April 11.
Hoshine Silicon (Jia Xiang) Industry Co. has constitutional and statutory standing to challenge a withhold release order on silica-based products made by its parent company, Hoshine Silicon, or its subsidiaries, the Court of International Trade held in a decision made public April 22. However, Judge Claire Kelly dismissed Jiaxing Hoshine's claim against CBP's issuance of the WRO for being untimely, finding that it was brought after the statute of limitations had run out.
The three judges assigned to the case challenging President Donald Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act -- Jane Restani, Gary Katzmann and Timothy Reif -- may be poised to rein in the administration's use of the act to impose tariffs, various attorneys told us. Based on their prior jurisprudence and professional backgrounds, the attorneys said, it seems likely the trio may pare back Trump's tariff-setting authority, though it's ultimately unclear to what extent.
U.S. domestic lumber companies are delighted that President Donald Trump is considering imposing Section 232 tariffs on imports of lumber and its derivative products, but U.S. domestic manufactures expressed concern and foreign countries pleaded for exemptions in public comments to the Bureau of Industry and Security.
The Commerce Department has published the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from China (A-570-979). In the final results of this review, Commerce will set assessment rates for subject merchandise from the six companies remaining under review entered December 2022 through November 2023.