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18
The Unknown Danger of Wood Packing Materials: Two May Seizures, Port of New Orleans - U.S. Customs & Border Protection

In the month of May U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at the Port of New Orleans discovered two separate non-compliant cargo shipments from South America. The first shipment was gum rosin from Brazil. Rosin comes from the oleoresin of living pine trees by distilling off the turpentine. It has a wide variety of uses, and is an ingredient in printing inks, photocopying, varnishes, adhesives, soda, soldering fluxes, and sealing wax. The second shipment was lumber with bark still attached, shipped from Suriname.

What these two shipments had in common was their wood packing materials lacked International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) 15 stamps. The IPPC has an international standard for wood packaging material to certify that it has been subjected to an approved treatment measure. This treatment is required due to the significant pest risk associated with untreated packing materials. Dangerous insects and their larvae can be burrowed into the wood materials and can escape the ship or port and invade the nearby environment. The IPCC 15 stamp must be visible and meet an approved design standard.

The two non-compliant wood packing materials and lumber with bark were placed in containers to be re-exported back to Brazil and Suriname.

There are a variety of reasons a shipper may not have IPCC 15 stamps. However, a smart shipper will know to ensure the stamp is showing appropriately, and a high-volume shipper should know about them. A low volume shipper or new importer may not know about the stamps because they did not do the proper research.

CBP may issue a penalty for the missing stamps, but usually brokers are swift to manipulate or re-export the non-compliant shipment. The costs incurred by the importer while they wait to get the shipment re-exported adds up quickly in the port, and there are daily container charges. The shipper may accept the return and the costs, but the importer also must take responsibility for the costs if their shipper does not agree to the return.

CBP does not always issue a penalty as there are already costs to the importer when re-exporting the shipment. Penalties may be issued if shippers are not acting to re-export the shipment in a timely manner.

“Inspecting wood packing materials of otherwise lawful shipments is one of the many, lesser known ways Office of Field Operations helps keep our country safe,” said New Orleans Area Port Director Terri Edwards. “It’s not the near-instant death of a narcotic like fentanyl, but an invasive species can gradually wreak havoc on the environment and our economy. Just look at the U.S. Forest Service’s list of invasive insects that have had a significant impact on the forests of North America. I am proud of our agriculture specialists for recognizing these potentially dangerous materials.” .

These seizures took place within the New Orleans Field Office, which covers ports of entry throughout the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Federal Register Notices:

Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Notice of Request for Submissions on the Public Interest; Certain Laparoscopic Surgical Staplers, Reload Cartridges, and Components Thereof
Final Determination: Notice of Issuance of Final Determination Concerning Certain Fixed and Portable Patient Ceiling Lift Systems
Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Multilayered Wood Flooring From the People's Republic of China: Partial Rescission of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2019
Truck and Bus Tires From the People's Republic of China: Rescission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2020-2021
Carbazole Violet Pigment 23 From India and the People's Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders
Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Cancellation of Hearing for Final Phase Countervailing Duty and Anti-Dumping Duty Investigations; Utility Scale Wind Towers From India, Malaysia, and Spain
Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Foodservice Equipment and Components Thereof; Notice of Request for Submissions on the Public Interest
Rules: Import Restrictions Imposed on Categories of Archaeological and Ethnological Material of Turkey
Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Seamless Refined Copper Pipe and Tube From Vietnam; Cancellation of Hearing for a Final Phase Anti-Dumping Duty Investigation
Pressure Sensitive Plastic Tape From Italy; Termination of Five-Year Review
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AMO Seizes Cocaine Haul Worth $17.6M Concealed inside Vessel Near Vieques, Puerto Rico - U.S. Customs & Border Protection

IFAJARDO, Puerto Rico — US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) agents seized 1,299 pounds (589.4 Kilos) of cocaine from a vessel inspected on Wednesday evening. The estimated value of the seized cocaine is $17.6 million.

“Transnational criminal organizations try to move their illicit contraband through various means,” indicated Hector Rojas, Acting Director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. “Our agents will continue to use our advanced aeronautical and maritime capabilities to detect and interdict them throughout our coastal borders.”

On June 9, an AMO Fajardo Marine Unit stopped a 26-foot center console Mako vessel navigating southwest, about 4 nautical miles north of Vieques. The vessel had one occupant.

The vessel was escorted to the Fajardo Marine boathouse for full inspection. Inside the vessel agents found hidden compartments where they found a total of 516 bricks. A field test resulted in the identification of cocaine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assumed custody of the boat occupant and the contraband for investigation.

“Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies continue to work together to secure our island’s borders. It’s a non-stop effort that constantly disrupts these drug trafficking organizations and in doing so we help make our communities safer”. Said John Kanig, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Caribbean Division.

AMO safeguards our Nation by anticipating and confronting security threats through our aviation and maritime law enforcement expertise, innovative capabilities, and partnerships at the border and beyond. With approximately 1,800 federal agents and mission support personnel, 240 aircraft, and 300 marine vessels operating throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, AMO conducts its mission in the air and maritime environments at and beyond the border, and within the nation's interior.
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USITC Makes Determination in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Potassium Phosphate Salts - U.S. International Trade Commission

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that revoking the existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of potassium phosphate salts from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the existing orders on imports of this product from China will remain in place.

Chair Jason E. Kearns, Vice Chair Randolph J. Stayin, and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative.

Today’s action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. See the attached page for background on these five-year (sunset) reviews.

The Commission’s public report Potassium Phosphate Salts China (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-473 and 731-TA-1173 (Second Review), USITC Publication 5208, June 2021) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.

The report will be available by July 21, 2021; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

BACKGROUND

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act requires the Department of Commerce to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the Department of Commerce and the USITC determine that revoking the order or terminating the suspension agreement would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or subsidies (Commerce) and of material injury (USITC) within a reasonably foreseeable time.

The Commission’s institution notice in five-year reviews requests that interested parties file responses with the Commission concerning the likely effects of revoking the order under review as well as other information. Generally within 95 days from institution, the Commission will determine whether the responses it has received reflect an adequate or inadequate level of interest in a full review. If responses to the USITC’s notice of institution are adequate, or if other circumstances warrant a full review, the Commission conducts a full review, which includes a public hearing and issuance of questionnaires.

The Commission generally does not hold a hearing or conduct further investigative activities in expedited reviews. Commissioners base their injury determination in expedited reviews on the facts available, including the Commission’s prior injury and review determinations, responses received to its notice of institution, data collected by staff in connection with the review, and information provided by the Department of Commerce.

The five-year (sunset) reviews concerning Potassium Phosphate Salts from China were instituted on November 2, 2020.

On February 5, 2021, the Commission voted to conduct expedited reviews. Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, Randolph J. Stayin, and Amy A. Karpel concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group responses were inadequate and voted for expedited reviews.

A record of the Commission’s vote to conduct expedited reviews is available from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by telephone by calling 202-205-1802.
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CBP Field Operations at Pharr International Bridge Seizes $6.5 Million in Hard Narcotics in Commercial Shipment - U.S. Customs & Border Protection

PHARR, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility intercepted a load of mixed hard narcotics containing alleged cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin worth $6,582,600 in a commercial shipment arriving from Mexico.

“This seizure was accomplished due to great all around teamwork, beginning with analytical research, use of technology and the endless commitment to the border security mission of keeping dangerous drugs from continuing their trek into our communities,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.

On June 14, 2021, CBP officers assigned to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge cargo facility encountered a tractor/trailer hauling a commercial shipment of floor tile and a non-intrusive imaging (NII) inspection allowed the officers to discover packages of suspected narcotics hidden within the shipment. Officers removed 162 packages of alleged methamphetamine weighing 203 pounds (92 kg), 40 packages of alleged heroin weighing 47.39 pounds (21.4 kg) and 31 packages of alleged cocaine weighing 78 pounds (35.5 kg). Officers also discovered over 5,100 assorted pills of alleged fentanyl, oxycodone and methamphetamine.

CBP OFO seized all the narcotics, the tractor/trailer and the case remains under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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Japan Initiates WTO Dispute Complaint Against Chinese Steel Duties - World Trade Organization

Japan has requested WTO dispute consultations with China concerning anti-dumping measures imposed by China on certain stainless steel products from Japan. The request was circulated to WTO members on 15 June.

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