U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Imports of Wooden Cabinets and Vanities from China - U.S. Department of Commerce
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of wooden cabinets and vanities and components thereof from China, finding that exporters received countervailable subsidies ranging from 10.97 to 229.24 percent.
Based on these preliminary rates, the Department of Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of wooden cabinets and vanities from China.
In 2018, imports of wooden cabinets and vanities from China were valued at an estimated $4.4 billion.
The petitioner is the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance.
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration. Since the beginning of the current Administration, Commerce has initiated 179 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – this is a 231 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
Antidumping and countervailing duty laws provide American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of the unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 489 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
Commerce is currently scheduled to announce its final CVD determination on or about December 17, 2019.
If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about January 30, 2020. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination in this investigation, and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue a CVD order. If Commerce makes a negative final determination, or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.
Click HERE for a fact sheet on today’s decision.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade law and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.
Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. Companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks, or production inputs, are subject to countervailing duties aimed at directly countering those subsidies.
Federal Register Notices:
HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge wants to warn travelers that bringing prohibited agriculture products will result in fines being assessed, jeopardize SENTRI participation and can also lead to visa cancellations.
“We want to advise travelers that bringing in prohibited agriculture products will not only affect your pocketbook but can also have repercussions that may affect your ability to continue visiting the United States,” said Port Director Sylvia Briones, Hidalgo/Pharr/ Anzalduas Port of Entry.
CBP Office of Field Operations welcomes all travelers and we want to make the arrival process at our international bridges a seamless experience. OFO has several recommendations to include:
- Have your documents ready-use Ready Lanes for those with RFID documents
- Apply for the SENTRI program-Trusted Traveler Program (TTP)
- Declare all items-(especially agriculture products)-AVOID FINES
- Monitor wait times-use border crossings with shorter wait times
- Be patient-(summer vacationists seeking U.S. travel)
Bringing in undeclared prohibited agriculture products such as chorizo, apples, peaches, pomegranates, mango, avocados (with seed), plants, soil or animals, to name a few will lead to fines and/or penalties being assessed. These fines start at $300.00 and can increase up to $1,000.00. For those travelers enrolled in one of Trusted Traveler Programs, which includes SENTRI, one violation will result in your enrollment being revoked with the possibility of permanent denial back into the TTP. Also, foreign nationals can have their U.S. visas revoked if found to have violated the status of their visa by having a fine assessed for committing an agriculture violation.
CBP & USCG Celebrate 230th Anniversary of First Arriving International Vessel at the Port of New York/Newark - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
PORT OF NEW YORK/NEWARK, NJ — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) at the Port of New York/Newark held an event highlighting the 230th Anniversary of the legacy agency U.S. Customs Service, which preceded CBP, by greeting and processing an arriving international vessel marking the anniversary of the first foreign vessel to be processed in the United States at the Port of New York/Newark.
The first ship to usher in this era under the new Customs regulations entered the port of New York on August 5, 1789, less than a week after the Agency was established. The brigantine Persis sailed from Italy into New York Harbor carrying various goods consigned to William Seton, a successful importer who also served as cashier of the Bank of New York under Alexander Hamilton. Seton paid a duty of $774.41, the first collected by the United States.
230 years ago, on July 31, 1789, the Fifth Act of the First United States Congress created customs collection districts and regulated the collection of duties on ship’s tonnage and merchandise at our first ports of entry. These duties funded virtually the entire U.S. Government over the next century. Revenue collected through Customs strengthened government infrastructure, financed construction of cities and buildings, and paid for the operation of the ports.
“Today, exactly 230 years later, we welcome the Maersk Kinloss and Captain Murray to the Port of New York/Newark. Things have changed just a bit. The Kinloss carries thousands of cargo containers. Each container can hold more cargo than the entire Persis, and a handful would weigh more than the entire ship. Just one shipment is valued at over 5.6 million dollars with an approximate duty of $565, 000,” said Troy Miller, Director of CBP’s New York Field Office.
“The Coast Guard has enjoyed an outstanding partnership with US Customs throughout our entire history. We are honored to be part of this momentous occasion commemorating US Customs’ 230 years of dedicated service to our country, and we look forward to celebrating many more years of teamwork,” said Captain Jason Tama, USCG Sector New York Commander.
“US Customs took the approach of integrating security into commercial operations and establishing global partnerships which has benefited our industry’s customers from port of loading overseas to final delivery at our customer’s distribution center. Working together with US Customs and the US Coast Guard is vital to our nation’s economy and keeping our port commerce safe, secure and flowing, said Mark Tierney, Head of Corporate Security & Regulatory for Maersk in the Americas.”
By the early twentieth-century, New York was the world's busiest port and generated substantial revenue for the United States Custom Service and the Federal Government.
Photos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/cbpphotos/3atA0f
Office of Textile and Apparel - June 2019 Textile and Apparel Import Report - OFAC
June 2019 Textile and Apparel Import Report
Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix - Food & Drug Administration
If you’re taking a medication, is it safe to drive?
Most likely, yes. Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises you to make sure before operating any type of vehicle, whether a car, bus, train, plane, or boat.
Although most medications won’t affect your ability to drive, some prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs (also called nonprescription medicines) can have side effects and cause reactions that may make it unsafe to drive, including:
- sleepiness/drowsiness
- blurred vision
- dizziness
- slowed movement
- fainting
- inability to focus or pay attention
- nausea
- excitability
Some medicines can affect your driving for a short time after you take them. For others, the effects can last for several hours, and even the next day. And some medicines have a warning to not operate heavy machinery — this includes driving a car.
Medicines That Might Affect Driving
Knowing how your medications — or any combination of them — affect your ability to drive is a safety measure. Some drugs that could make it dangerous to drive include:
- opioid pain relievers
- prescription drugs for anxiety (for example, benzodiazepines)
- anti-seizure drugs (antiepileptic drugs)
- antipsychotic drugs
- some antidepressants
- products containing codeine
- some cold remedies and allergy products, such as antihistamines (both prescription and OTC)
- sleeping pills
- muscle relaxants
- medicines that treat or control symptoms of diarrhea
- medicines that treat or prevent symptoms of motion sickness
- diet pills, “stay awake” drugs, and other medications with stimulants (e.g., caffeine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine)
Also, avoid combining medication and alcohol while driving.
Some Sleep Medicines Can Impair You, Even the Next Morning
People with insomnia have trouble falling or staying asleep. Many take medicines to help sleep. Come morning, though, some sleep medicines could make you less able to perform activities for which you must be fully alert, including driving.
A common ingredient in a widely prescribed sleep medication is zolpidem, which belongs to a class of medications called sedative-hypnotics. The FDA has found that medicines containing zolpidem, especially extended release forms, can impair driving ability and other activities the next morning.
Zolpidem immediate and extended-release forms are marketed as generic drugs and under these brand names:
- Ambien and Ambien CR (oral tablet)
- Edluar (tablet placed under the tongue)
- Intermezzo (tablet placed under the tongue)
- Zolpimist (oral spray)
People who take sleep medicines should talk to their health care professional about ways to take the lowest effective dose. Don’t assume that non-prescription sleep medicines are necessarily safer alternatives. The FDA is also evaluating the risk of next-day impairment with other insomnia drugs, both prescription and OTC versions.
Allergy Medicines Can Affect Your Ability to Drive
For allergy sufferers, medications containing antihistamines can help relieve many different types of allergies, including hay fever. But these medicines may interfere with driving and operating heavy machinery (including driving a car). Antihistamines can slow your reaction time, make it hard to focus or think clearly, and may cause mild confusion even if you don’t feel drowsy.
Read the OTC Drug Facts label of your medicine and understand the warnings before using it. Also, avoid drinking alcohol or taking sleep medications while using some antihistamines. Those combinations can increase the sedative effects of antihistamines.
How to Avoid Driving Impaired
You can still drive safely while taking most medications. Talk to your health care provider about possible side effects. For example, some antihistamines and sleep medications work for longer periods than others. You might feel the sedating effects of these medications for some time after you’ve taken them, and maybe even into the next day.
Doctors and pharmacists can tell you about known side effects of medications, including those that interfere with driving. You can also request printed information about the side effects of any new medicine.
To manage or minimize side effects while driving, your health care provider may be able to adjust your dose, adjust the timing of when you take the medicine, or change the medicine to one that causes fewer side effects for you.
Here are some more tips:
Always follow directions for use and read warnings on medication packaging, or handouts provided by the pharmacy.
- Don’t stop using your medicine unless your prescriber tells you to.
ell your health care provider about all the products you are taking, including prescription, OTC, and herbal products. Also, let them know about any reactions you experience.