POLA and POLB Marine Terminal Gates Closed Thursday, August 5, 2021, 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, August 5, 2021, starting at 5 p.m. As a result, no marine terminal gates at the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach will operate between the hours of 5:00 p.m. on August 5 through 3:00 a.m. on August 6. There will be no OffPeak shift Thursday night August 5________________________________________
CBP Modifies Withhold Release Order on Imports of Carpets and Hand-Knotted Wool Products from Nepal - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
WASHINGTON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection has modified a Withhold Release Order on imports of carpets and hand-knotted products from Nepal. Effective July 23, 2021, carpets and hand-knotted wool products produced by the Nepalese company Annapurna Carpet Industries Pvt. Ltd. (“Annapurna Carpet”) are admissible at all U.S. ports of entry.
“CBP’s thorough review of Annapurna Carpet’s business practices indicates that the company has remediated concerns about the use of forced labor in its production process and that its products may be imported into the United States,” said AnnMarie Highsmith, CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner for Trade. “CBP remains committed to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains to protect vulnerable workers and ensure a level playing field for law-abiding businesses.”
CBP issued a Withhold Release Order in July 1998 to prevent the importation of carpets and hand-knotted wool products from seven Nepalese companies, including Annapurna Carpet. The Withhold Release Order was based on information reasonably indicating that those products were made with the use of forced labor.
CBP modified the Withhold Release Order after evaluating detailed information that Annapurna Carpet has addressed all eleven indicators of forced labor in the production of its carpets and hand-knotted wool products, which sufficiently shows that the company’s products are not made with the use of forced labor. These products may now be imported into the United States.
This is the second time CBP has modified the Withhold Release Order on carpets and hand-knotted wool products from Nepal. The agency first modified the Withhold Release Order in October 1998 to allow imports of carpets and hand-knotted wool products from three companies: Norsang Carpet Industries Pvt., Ltd., Everest Carpet, and K.K. Carpet Industries. The three entities fully addressed CBP’s concerns about the use of forced labor in their production processes.
The 1998 Withhold Release Order remains in effect for carpets and hand-knotted wool products made by Kumar Carpet Pvt., Singhe Carpet Pvt., and Valley Carpet. CBP will not modify or revoke a Withhold Release Order until the subject entities fully remediate all indicators of forced labor in their production process.
Federal statute 19 U.S.C. 1307 prohibits the importation of merchandise mined, manufactured or produced, wholly or in part, in a foreign country by forced labor, including convict labor and/or indentured labor under penal sanctions. When information reasonably but not conclusively indicates that merchandise within the purview of this provision is being imported, the Commissioner of CBP may issue a Withhold Release Order. Withhold Release Orders direct CBP personnel at U.S. ports of entry to detain shipments containing goods specified by the order.
CBP receives allegations of forced labor from a variety of sources, including the public. Any person or organization that has reason to believe merchandise produced with the use of forced labor is being, or likely to be, imported into the United States can report detailed allegations by contacting CBP through the e-Allegations Online Trade Violations Reporting System or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT________________________________________
Federal Register Notices:
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Urea Ammonium Nitrate Solutions From the Russian Federation and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigations
• Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations: Urea Ammonium Nitrate Solutions From the Russian Federation and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Smart Thermostats, Smart HVAC Systems, and Components Thereof; Commission Determination To Review in Part a Final Initial Determination Finding No Violation of Section 337 and, on Review, To Affirm the Finding of No Violation; Termination of the Investigation
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Integrated Circuits and Products Containing Same; Institution of Investigation
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Narrow Woven Ribbons With Woven Selvedge From the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2018
• Certain Cold-Rolled Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2018
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Cold-Rolled Steel Flat Products From the Republic of Korea: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2018-2019
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Investigation of Urea Ammonium Nitrate Solutions From the Russian Federation: Opportunity To Comment on the Russian Federation's Status as a Market Economy Country Under the Antidumping Duty Laws
• Polyethylene Terephthalate Resin From Canada, China, India, and Oman: Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset Reviews of the Antidumping Duty Orders
• Large Diameter Welded Pipe From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2018-2020
• Certain Mobile Access Equipment and Subassemblies Thereof From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination
• Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the Republic of Korea: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2018-2019
• Diffusion-Annealed, Nickel-Plated Flat-Rolled Steel Products From Japan: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2019-2020
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Utility Scale Wind Towers From Malaysia
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Port of New Orleans Finds Invasive Insects in Wood on Deck of Foreign Vessel - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at the Port of New Orleans ordered the removal of a vessel due to invasive insects found in the wood used to secure their previous cargo. The wood (henceforth referred to as “dunnage”) on the ship named Pan Jasmine was found to be infested with five separate pests, two of which required action.
The Pan Jasmine arrived at the anchorage of Davant, down river from New Orleans at mile marker 54, on July 17. The ship had previously offloaded a shipment of aluminum in Vera Cruz, Mexico, after coming from Paradip, India. The dunnage used to pack the aluminum had not been offloaded in Mexico and was left scattered on the deck of the Pan Jasmine, which is unusual. No reason was provided to CBP as to why the dunnage was refused discharge in Mexico, and this raised a red flag. An examination of the dunnage revealed burrowing holes and fresh sawdust near the holes, which indicates pests. After two examinations of the dunnage by CBP and USDA personnel, five separate pests were found and identified. Two of the pests discovered pose an agriculture threat to the U.S. They were positively identified by USDA entomologists as Cerambycidae and Myrmicinae. The Cerambycidae Family of Longhorned Beetles contains many non-native species that pose a serious threat to the environment. The larvae of invasive wood-boring beetles can feed on a wide variety of trees in the U.S., eventually killing them. The Myrmicinae queen ants are a concern because they are capable of producing a colony. The additional pests found have an established presence in the U.S. including Bostrichidae, a common wood boring pest.
Cerambycids were discovered in New York City in 1996 and later in Chicago. Native to China and the Korean peninsula, the Cerambycids were accidentally imported into the U.S. via wooden shipping materials. Within two years, infestations resulted in the destruction of nearly 7,000 trees. Recently, the USDA estimated that, if left uncontrolled, Cerambycids and other Chinese wood boring beetles could cause more than $100 billion in damage to the U.S. economy
According to the USDA Forest Service, the cost of eradication campaigns undertaken between 1996 and 2013 against the cerambycids, were estimated to have exceeded $537 million for all U.S. infestations in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.
Due to the large volume of dunnage and the presence of highly mobile pests, the vessel was ordered to immediately depart U.S. waters, load the dunnage into the cargo hold and clean the decks prior to returning to the U.S. The Pan Jasmine departed July 21 to Freeport, Bahamas, for dunnage disposal services.
“If the dunnage had been offloaded into the U.S., it would have been put in a Louisiana landfill where the insects could crawl out and invade the local habitat, causing incalculable damage,” said New Orleans Area Port Director Terri Edwards. “Inspecting wood dunnage of otherwise lawful shipments is one of the many, lesser known ways Office of Field Operations Agriculture Specialists help keep our country safe. I am proud of our agriculture specialists and the USDA personnel for recognizing these dangerous pests.”
During a typical day last year, CBP agriculture specialists across the nation seized 3,091 prohibited plant, meat, animal byproducts, and soil, and intercepted 250 insect pests at U.S. ports of entry. See what else CBP achieved on a typical day during 2020.
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.
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Silicon Metal from Malaysia 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 by reason of imports of silicon metal from Malaysia that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.
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.
As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determination, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order on imports of this product from Malaysia.
The Commission’s public report Silicon Metal from Malaysia (Inv. No. 731-TA-1526 (Final), USITC Publication 5220, August 2021) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.
The report will be available by August 30, 2021; 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
Silicon Metal from Malaysia
Investigation No. 731-TA-1526 (Final)
Product Description: Silicon metal of all forms and sizes, including silicon powder, containing at least 85.00 percent but less than 99.99 percent silicon and less than 4.00 percent iron by actual weight. Specifically excluded is semiconductor grade silicon (containing at least 99.99 percent silicon by actual weight and classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 2804.61.00).
Status of Proceedings:
1. Type of investigation: Final antidumping duty investigation.
2. Petitioners: Globe Specialty Metals, Inc., Beverly, OH, and Mississippi Silicon LLC, Burnsville, MS.
3. USITC Institution Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
4. USITC Hearing Date: Monday, February 22, 2021.
5. USITC Vote Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
6. USITC Notification to Commerce Date: Monday, August 9, 2021.
U.S. Industry in 2020:
1. Number of U.S. producers: 3.
2. Location of producers’ plants: Alabama, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia.
3. Production and related workers: [1]
4. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments: 1
5. Apparent U.S. consumption: 1
6. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption: 1
U.S. Imports in 2020:
1. Subject imports: $40 million.
2. Nonsubject imports: $230 million.
3. Leading import sources: Brazil, Canada, Norway, Malaysia, Australia.
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HSI and Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Seize 2 Domain Names Attempting to Impersonate Walmart Website and Purporting to Sell COVID-19 Treatment or Prevention Drugs - ICE
BALTIMORE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland seized fraudulent websites that contained numerous uses of the legitimate Walmart trademarked logo and appearing to mimic a legitimate Walmart website.
The fraudulent websites allegedly offer a number of drugs for sale for the experimental and unapproved treatment or prevention of COVID-19. Instead, the domains were allegedly used to collect the personal information of individuals visiting the sites in order to use their information for nefarious purposes, including fraud, phishing attacks and/or deployment of malware. Individuals visiting the sites will now see a message that the site has been seized by the federal government. These are the 12th and 13th COVID fraud related domain names seized by the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The seizures of the domain names were announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner and Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore Field Office.
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