Port of NY/NJ: Schedules for President's Day 2/20/17:
- All container terminals will be CLOSED 2/20 except GCT Bayonne (6am - 3pm)and PNCT (7am - 4pm).
- GCT NY will be CLOSED, Monday 2/20
- Salson will be OPEN. East Coast OPEN from 8a –3p. TSC will be OPEN. All other CES' will be CLOSED.
- All Maher Terminals facilities will be closed for business on Monday, February 20, 2017 in observance of Presidents Day
- PNCT will be OPEN PNCT gate hours will be 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Port Truck Gate Schedule for Presidents Day Holiday 2017 - PierPass
Terminals at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have announced their schedules for the Presidents Day holiday weekend of Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20. The schedule is posted on the website, and a PDF of the schedule can be downloaded at http://www.pierpass.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Prezday_2017_2.pdf.
Please continue to monitor the websites of individual terminals for updates.
Certain Amorphous Silica Fabric from China Injures U.S. Industry, Says USITC - U.S. International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of certain amorphous silica fabric from China that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.
Chairman Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Vice Chairman David S. Johanson, and Commissioners Irving A. Williamson, Meredith M. Broadbent, and F. Scott Kieff voted in the affirmative. Commissioner Dean A. Pinkert did not vote in these investigations.
As a result of the USITC’s affirmative determinations, Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of this product from China.
The Commerce Department previously made an affirmative critical circumstances determination with regard to imports of this product from China that are sold at less than fair value. Therefore, the Commissioners who made affirmative present injury determinations today are required to determine whether these imports are likely to undermine seriously the remedial effect of the orders Commerce will issue. Chairman Schmidtlein and Commissioner Williamson made affirmative findings with regard to critical circumstances. Vice Chairman Johanson made a negative finding with regard to critical circumstances.
The Commission’s public report Certain Amorphous Silica Fabric from China (Investigation Nos. 701-TA-555 and 731-TA-1310 (Final), USITC Publication 4672, March 2017) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.
The report will be available by March 31, 2017; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.
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UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436
FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Amorphous Silica Fabric from China
Investigation Nos. 701-TA-555 and 731-TA-1310 (Final)
Product Description: The product covered by these investigations is woven (whether from yarns or rovings) industrial grade amorphous silica fabric, which contains a minimum of 90 percent silica (SiO2) by nominal weight, and a nominal width in excess of 8 inches. The investigations cover industrial grade amorphous silica fabric regardless of other materials contained in the fabric, regardless of whether in roll form or cut-to-length, regardless of weight, width (except as noted above), or length.
Status of Proceedings:
1. Type of investigation: Final antidumping and countervailing duties.
2. Petitioners: Auburn Manufacturing, Inc., Mechanic Falls, ME.
3. Investigation instituted by USITC: January 20, 2016.
4. USITC hearing: January 18, 2017.
5. USITC vote: February 15, 2017.
6. USITC notification of Department of Commerce: March 10, 2017.
U.S. Industry:
1. Number of U.S. producers in 2015: 2.
2. Location of producers’ plants: Maine and California.
3. Employment of production and related workers in 2015: [1]
4. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments in 2015: 1
5. Apparent U.S. consumption in 2015: 1
6. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption in 2015: 1
U.S. Imports in 2015:
1. From the subject countries during 2015: 1
2. From other countries during 2015: 1
3. Leading sources during 2015: China and Latvia (in terms of total value).
Food Safety for People with Cancer - U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Food safety is important for everyone – but it’s especially important for you. That’s why the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration have prepared this booklet. It is designed to provide practical guidance on how to reduce your risk of foodborne illness. In addition to this guide, we encourage you to check with your physician or health care provider to indentify foods and other products that you should avoid. You have a special need for this important information . . . so read on!
OTEXA: Announcements - International Trade Administration
02/07/2017 – The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is requesting information on the materials, components, and methods of assembly currently used to comply with the Standard for the Flammability of Mattresses and Mattress Pads, and the Standard for the Flammability (Open Flame) of Mattress Sets. Submit comments by April 3, 2017.
02/07/2017 – December 2016 Textile and Apparel Import Report
Cashless Tolling - Bayonne Bridge - Port of New York & New Jersey
In the coming weeks, the Bayonne Bridge will begin a Cashless Toll Collection operation and no longer accept cash toll payments. The toll booths will be replaced with overhead equipment that instantly reads a vehicle’s E-ZPass tag. If a vehicle doesn't have an E-ZPass tag, a photograph will be taken of its license plate and a toll bill will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Watch: https://youtu.be/7PLYYLWiEDM
Charleston, S.C. CBP Officers Seize "Ski Scooters" Potentially Dangerous Toys - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
CHARLESTON, S.C. --- U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Charleston, SC recently completed seizure of more than $145,000 worth of potentially dangerous toys. In early January, a shipment of 4,424 “ski scooters” arrived at the Seaport and was selected for examination.
The snow sled toys were manufactured in Taiwan and destined for an online toy distributor’s facility in northeast South Carolina.
After checking for compliance with trade laws, CBP referred the shipment to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) for consumer safety analysis.
The CPSC laboratory analysis determined that the toys contained lead in excess of the limit which may be harmful to the health and safety of children.
“Preventing dangerous imported goods from entering our communities is a top CBP priority,” said Joanne Fogg Acting Charleston Area Port Director. “The dangers lead contamination pose to our children are well-documented. I’m proud of the work our officers have done in partnering with CPSC personnel to keep our communities safe.”
Effective enforcement of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act prevents harmful products from entering the country, and it protects children from injury and death. CBP at the Port of Charleston continues to work with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other agencies to combat the illegal importation of unsafe goods that pose significant health and safety risk to the American public.
For more on CBP’s trade enforcement mission please visit CBP Trade.
FTC Undercover Inspections of Funeral Homes in Nine States Prompt Compliance with Funeral Rule Disclosure Requirements - Federal Trade Commission
FTC’s Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to provide itemized price lists to consumers
Federal Trade Commission investigators working undercover in nine states found failures to disclose pricing information to consumers, as required by the FTC’s Funeral Rule, in 31 of the 133 funeral homes they visited during 2015 and 2016.
The FTC conducts undercover inspections to ensure that funeral homes comply with the Funeral Rule. Issued in 1984, the Rule gives consumers important rights when making funeral arrangements. Key provisions require funeral homes to provide consumers with an itemized general price list at the start of an in-person discussion of funeral arrangements, a casket price list before consumers view any caskets, and an outer burial container price list before they view grave liners or vaults. The Rule also prohibits funeral homes from requiring consumers to buy any item, such as a casket, as a condition of obtaining any other funeral good or service. By requiring the provision of itemized prices, the Funeral Rule enables consumers to compare prices and buy only the goods and services they want.
Funeral homes that violate the price list disclosure requirements for the first time can enter the Funeral Rule Offender’s Program (FROP), a training program run by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) designed to increase compliance with the Funeral Rule. All the homes found in violation during the past two years have chosen to enter the FROP rather than subject themselves to the possibility of an enforcement lawsuit seeking civil penalties of up to $40,654 per violation. The FROP provides participants with a legal review of the price disclosures required by the Rule, and on-going training, testing and monitoring for compliance. Funeral homes that participate in the program make a voluntary payment to the U.S. Treasury in place of a civil penalty, and pay annual administrative fees to the NFDA.
The results of the FTC 2015-2016 undercover inspections for price list disclosures by region are as follows:
- In Bakersfield, California, none of the 10 funeral homes inspected in 2016 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Atlanta, Smyrna and Marietta, Georgia, one of the 10 funeral homes inspected in 2015 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Detroit, Warren and Ann Arbor, Michigan, 10 of the 15 funeral homes inspected in 2015 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In St. Louis, Missouri, three of the 16 funeral homes inspected in 2015 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Alamogordo and Roswell, New Mexico, nine of the 14 funeral homes inspected in 2016 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Bismarck, North Dakota, none of the six funeral homes inspected in 2016 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, four of the 34 funeral homes inspected in 2015 failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William Counties in Virginia, two of the 17 funeral homes inspected in 2016 failed to make a price list disclosure; and
- In Tacoma, Washington, two of the 11 funeral homes inspected in 2015 failed to make a price list disclosure.
Since the FROP began in 1996, the FTC has inspected more than 3,000 funeral homes and found 530 homes with violations. In addition, the FTC identified a number of homes, within the nine states, with only minor compliance deficiencies. In such cases, the FTC requires the funeral home to provide evidence that it has corrected the problems.
The FTC educates consumers in English and Spanish about their rights under the Funeral Rule, and provides guidance to businesses in how to comply. For more information, read Shopping for Funeral Services, Paying Final Respects, Your Rights When Buying Funeral Goods and Services, and Complying with the Funeral Rule.