POLA and POLB Marine Terminal Gates Closed on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, from 5 p.m. - PierPass
PierPass Inc. has been notified that the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) will observe a special stop work meeting for union business on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017, starting at 5 p.m. As a result, no marine terminal gates at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach will operate between the hours of 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 3 through 3:00 a.m. on Aug. 4.
USITC Releases the Year in Trade 2016 - U.S. International Trade Commission
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released The Year in Trade 2016, its annual overview of developments regarding the administration of U.S. trade laws and trade agreements.
The USITC's The Year in Trade is one of the government's most comprehensive reports available regarding activities related to U.S. trade policies, agreements, and trade laws. This report is the 68th in a series of annual reports submitted to the U.S. Congress under section 163(c) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2213(c)) and its predecessor legislation.
The publication reviews U.S. international trade laws and actions under these laws, activities of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and developments regarding U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs), FTA negotiations, and U.S. bilateral trade relations with major trading partners in 2016.
The Year in Trade 2016 covers:
•all U.S. antidumping, countervailing duty, safeguard, intellectual property rights infringement, and section 301 cases active in 2016. In addition, the 2016 report covers the operation of U.S. trade preference programs, including the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, including initiatives for Haiti;
- WTO dispute settlement decisions and other significant activities in the WTO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum;
- negotiations on an Environmental Goods Agreement, a Trade in Services Agreement, and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and developments regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement and other U.S. FTAs already in effect; and
- bilateral trade issues with selected major U.S. trading partners—the European Union, China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan, and Brazil—as well as Cuba.
The report also provides an overview of U.S. trade in goods and services during 2016. Statistical tables highlight U.S. bilateral trade with major trading partners and trade under U.S. trade preference programs and free trade agreements.
An interactive, web-based version of The Year in Trade 2016 will be released this Fall. A separate announcement will be made when that version is released.
The Year in Trade 2016 (USITC Publication 4711, July 2017) will be posted on the USITC's Internet site at https://www.usitc.gov/publications/332/pub4711.pdf. Other reports in this series dating back to 1948 can also be found on the Commission’s website at https://www.usitc.gov/research_and_analysis/year_in_trade.htm.
Initiation of AD/CVD Investigation: Certain Tapered Roller Bearings from KR - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
On July 18, 2017, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated its less-than-fair-value duty investigation on “Certain Tapered Roller Bearings from the Republic of Korea” (Initiation Notice). This investigation has been assigned the following case number: A-580-894.
The Scope of Merchandise covered by this investigation reads as follows:
The scope of this investigation is certain tapered roller bearings. The scope covers all tapered roller bearings with a nominal outside cup diameter of eight inches and under, regardless of type of steel used to produce the bearing, whether of inch or metric size, and whether the tapered roller bearing is a thrust bearing or not. Certain tapered roller bearings include: finished cup and cone assemblies entering as a set, finished cone assemblies entering separately, and finished parts (cups, cones, and tapered rollers). Certain tapered roller bearings are sold individually as a set (cup and cone assembly), as a cone assembly, as a finished cup, or packaged as a kit with one or several tapered roller bearings, a seal, and grease. The scope of the investigation includes finished rollers and finished cones that have not been assembled with rollers and a cage. Certain tapered roller bearings can be a single row or multiple rows (e.g., two- or four-row), and a cup can handle a single cone assembly or multiple cone assemblies.
Finished cups, cones, and rollers differ from unfinished cups, cones, and rollers in that they have undergone further processing after heat treatment, including, but not limited to, final machining, grinding, and/or polishing. Mere heat treatment of a cup, cone, or roller (without any further processing after heat treatment) does not render the cup, cone, or roller a finished part for the purpose of this investigation. Finished tapered roller bearing parts are understood to mean parts which, at the time of importation, are ready for assembly (if further assembly is required) and require no further finishing or fabrication, such as grinding, lathing, machining, polishing, heat treatment, etc. Finished parts may require grease, bolting, and/or pressing as part of final assembly, and the requirement that these processes be performed, subsequent to importation, does not remove an otherwise finished tapered roller bearing from the scope.
Tapered roller bearings that have a nominal outer cup diameter of eight inches and under that may be used in wheel hub units, rail bearings, or other housed bearings, but entered separately, are included in the scope to the same extent as described above. All tapered roller bearings meeting the written description above, and not otherwise excluded, are included, regardless of coating.
Excluded from the scope of this investigation are:
1) unfinished parts of tapered roller bearings (cups, cones, and tapered rollers);
2) cages, whether finished or unfinished;
3) the non-tapered roller bearing components of subject kits (e.g., grease, seal); and
4) tapered roller bearing wheel hub units, rail bearings, and other housed tapered roller bearings (flange, take up cartridges, and hanger units incorporating tapered rollers).
Tapered roller bearings subject to this investigation are primarily classifiable under subheadings 8482.20.0040, 8482.20.0061, 8482.20.0070, 8482.20.0081, 8482.91.0050, 8482.99.1550, and 8482.99.1580 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Parts may also enter under 8482.99.4500. While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and for customs purposes, the written description of the subject merchandise is dispositive.
Requirements for submitting comments on the scope of the investigation: Please be sure to comply with all three requirements established below.
Deadline for Submitting Comments:
As announced in the Initiation Notice, Commerce is setting aside a period for interested parties to raise issues regarding product coverage (scope). The period for scope comments is intended to provide Commerce with ample opportunity to consider all comments and to consult with parties prior to the issuance of the preliminary determination, as appropriate. If scope comments include factual information (see 19 CFR 351.102(b)(21)), all such factual information should be limited to public information. Commerce requests that all such comments be filed by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Monday, August 7, 2017, which is 20 calendar days from the signature date of this notice. Any rebuttal comments, which may include factual information, must be filed by 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 17, 2017, which is 10 calendar days after the initial comments deadline. Commerce requests that any factual information the parties consider relevant to the scope of the investigation be submitted during this time period. However, if a party subsequently finds that additional factual information pertaining to the scope of the investigation may be relevant, the party may contact Commerce and request permission to submit the additional information.
Required Entry of Appearance:
Parties wishing to participate in this segment and be included on the public service list must file a letter of appearance. Section 351.103(d)(1) of Commerce’s regulations states that “with the exception of a petitioner filing a petition in an investigation, to be included on the public service list for a particular segment, each interested party must file a letter of appearance.” The letter of appearance must be filed separately from any other document (with the exception of an application for APO access). Note, the letter of appearance must state how the party qualifies as an interested party (e.g., an exporter, producer, importer of the subject merchandise) and must include a point of contact, including address, telephone/fax number and email address.
All submissions to Commerce must be filed electronically using Enforcement and Compliance’s Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). An electronically-filed document must be received successfully in its entirety by the time, typically 5 p.m., and date when it is due. Documents excepted from the electronic submission requirements must be filed manually (i.e., in paper form) with Enforcement and Compliance’s APO/Dockets Unit, Room 18022, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230, and stamped with the date and time of receipt by the applicable deadlines.
Federal Register notice: Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings: Electronic Filing Procedures; Administrative Protective Order Procedures, 76 FR 39263 (July 6, 2011)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-07-06/pdf/2011-16352.pdf
Enforcement and Compliance: Change of Electronic Filing System Name, 79 FR 69046 (November 20, 2014)
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-11-20/pdf/2014-27530.pdf
Enforcement and Compliance: General Filing Requirements http://enforcement.trade.gov/filing/index.html
Required Certifications:
Please note that the following certification requirements are in effect for company / government officials as well as their representatives. In all segments of antidumping duty or countervailing duty proceedings initiated on or after August 16, 2013, parties submitting factual information must use the formats for the certifications provided at the end of the Final Rule. See Certification of Factual Information to Import Administration During Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings, 78 FR 42678 (July 17, 2013) (Final Rule). See also the frequently asked questions regarding the Final Rule, available at http://enforcement.trade.gov/tlei/notices/factual_info_final_rule_FAQ_07172013.pdf.
ITA: Press Releases - U.S. International Trade Administration
07/21/2017 U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Final Antidumping Duty Determination on Steel Concrete Reinforcing Bar From Taiwan | [ Fact Sheet ]
07/18/2017 U.S. Department Of Commerce Initiates Antidumping Duty Investigations Of Imports Of Low Melt Polyester Staple Fiber From Korea And Taiwan
07/18/2017 Possible Initiations of Antidumping Duty (AD) Investigations of Imports of Low Melt Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) from the Republic of Korea (Korea) and Taiwan
Charleston CBP Seizes Counterfeit Toys - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
CHARLESTON, S.C. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations, at Charleston seaport seized $121,442 worth of counterfeit children’s toys that arrived into the port. The cargo arrived in late June from China and was destined for a North Carolina based importer.
The shipment was found to contain multiple items bearing trademarks and copyrights registered to The Cartoon Network, Apple Inc., Saban Brands, and Danjaq, LLC. Saban Brands holds the copyrights to the Power Rangers brand and Danjaq holds the rights to “James Bond 007” characters and materials.
“Counterfeiting robs lawful rights holders of their unique ideas and the ability to make a profit from them,” said Robert Fencel, CBP Charleston Area Port Director. “It damages legitimate manufacturers, and can harm consumers because manufacturers of counterfeit items have little motivation to use safe, high quality materials in their products. In essence, they’re trying to make a ‘quick buck’ off of another party’s reputation and ideas.”
CBP contacted the lawful rights holders and it was determined that of the 284 cartons of toys in the shipment, 27 cartons containing 34,690 individual items were counterfeit – meaning the manufacturer used images and branding without the permission of the entities that developed and/or hold legal rights to those images.
Stopping the flow of illicit goods is a priority trade issue for CBP. The importation of counterfeit merchandise can damage the U.S. economy and threaten the health and safety of the American people. For more information on CBP’s Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) priority trade issue, visit: CBP Trade and IPR.
With the growth of foreign trade, unscrupulous companies have profited billions of dollars from the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods.
To combat the illicit trade of merchandise violating laws relating to IPR, trademark and copyright holders may register with CBP through an online system. Such registration assists CBP officers and import specialists in identifying merchandise that violates U.S. law.
CBP’s IPR enforcement strategy is multi-layered and includes seizing illegal merchandise at our borders, pushing the border “outward” through audits of suspect importers, cooperating with our international trading partners, and collaborating with industry and governmental agencies to enhance these efforts.
View CBP Snapshot to learn some of what CBP achieves “On a Typical Day.”
Port of NY & NJ Reports Cargo Volumes on Record Pace During First Half of 2017 - Port of NY & NJ/Breaking Waves
The Port Authority announced today that cargo volumes in the Port of New York and New Jersey are on record pace for 2017. The first six months of this year were 4.4 percent higher than the same period in 2015, when the previous record of 3,093,789 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) was established.
Between January and June this year, the port handled 3,229,675 TEUs, compared to 3,041,287 TEUs handled in 2016. The record volumes have allowed the port to maintain its position as the busiest on the East Coast.
In June alone, the port handled 584,606 TEUs, the best June on record and the second highest monthly volume ever recorded in the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Cargo handled by ExpressRail, the Port Authority’s ship-to-rail system serving New York and New Jersey marine terminals, also continued to increase. During the first six months of 2017, ExpressRail handled 273,991 lifts, up 2.8 percent from the previous record in 2016, when 266,624 lifts were handled. In June alone, ExpressRail handled 50,693 lifts, the first time the rail system handled more than 50,000 lifts in a month.
The agency’s investment of more than $600 million in ExpressRail – including the completion of ExpressRail Port Jersey which is now under construction – was made possible by the Cargo Facility Charge and has been critical in addressing the need for on-dock rail to improve port efficiency, competitiveness and reduce emissions. Once ExpressRail Port Jersey opens early next year, it will give the port the capacity to handle 1.5 million container lifts a year – and eliminate 2,250,000 annual truck trips from local highways – far greater capacity than any other East Coast port.
“This summer’s completion of navigational clearance on the $1.6 billion Bayonne Bridge project was a major game changer for this port, and we believe will be a catalyst for continued port growth as the world’s biggest, modern, fuel efficient vessels can now call on our terminals,” said Port Department Director Molly Campbell. “Moving forward, we will continue to work with all our stakeholders to further enhance our ability to handle these record levels of cargo to maintain our designation as the East Coast’s premier port.”
In addition to cargo containers, the port also reported a 7.7 percent increase in vehicles handled by auto processors serving the port – from 245,765 units handled in 2016 to 264,766 units handled in 2017. The increase is due in part to the Auto Incentive Program launched in 2014 to provide financial incentives to auto manufacturers who bring new or increased vehicle business to the port.
The Port of New York and New Jersey currently supports 336,600 full-time jobs in the region; $21.2 billion in personal income; $53.5 billion in business income; and $7.1 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.
DOT Concludes Investigations of Three Airlines Regarding Violations of Airline Consumer Protection Rules - Department of Transportation
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today fined Frontier Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines for violating the Department’s airline consumer protections rules. DOT fined Frontier Airlines $400,000 for violating the Department’s oversales and disability rules, American Airlines $250,000 for failing to make timely refunds to passengers, and Delta Air Lines $200,000 for filing inaccurate baggage reports to the Department.
The Department found that Frontier failed to seek volunteers before bumping passengers involuntarily, failed to provide bumped passengers the required written notice describing their rights, and failed to provide proper compensation to passengers in a timely manner, in violation of DOT rules. In addition, Frontier failed to provide passengers with a disability prompt and adequate wheelchair assistance in enplaning and deplaning aircraft and moving within the terminal, and did not adequately respond to complaints filed by passengers with disabilities.
The Department found that American failed to process refund requests in a timely manner, in violation of DOT rules.
Delta was fined for underreporting to the Department the number of mishandled baggage reports it received from passengers. The underreporting made Delta’s ranking in the Department’s Air Travel Consumer Report seem better than it was at various times.
Today’s consent orders against Frontier, American, and Delta are available at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2017-0001.
The Department has launched an airline passenger microsite to make it easy for travelers to understand their rights. The site can be viewed here:
https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/flights-and-rights