Petitions for the Imposition of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Certain Tin Mill Products from Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom - Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP
I. Type of Action: Antidumping Duty (“AD”): Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom; Countervailing Duty (“CVD”): China
II. Proposed Scope of the Investigations: The products within the scope of these investigations are tin mill flat-rolled products that are coated or plated with tin, chromium, or chromium oxides. Flat-rolled steel products coated with tin are known as tinplate. Flat-rolled steel products coated with chromium or chromium oxides are known as tin-free steel or electrolytic chromium-coated steel. The scope includes all the noted tin mill products regardless of thickness, width, form (in coils or cut sheets), coating type (electrolytic or otherwise), edge (trimmed, untrimmed or further processed, such as scroll cut), coating thickness, surface finish, temper, coating metal (tin, chromium, chromium oxide), reduction (single- or doublereduced), and whether or not coated with a plastic material.
All products that meet the written physical description are within the scope of the investigations unless specifically excluded. The following products, by way of example, are outside and/or specifically excluded from the scope of the investigations: Read further
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Federal Register Notices:
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Carbon and Alloy Seamless Standard, Line and Pressure Pipe Under 41/2
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Core Orientation Systems, Products Containing Core Orientation Systems, Components Thereof, and Methods of Using the Same; Notice of a Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial Determination Terminating the Investigation Based on a Consent Order Stipulation; Issuance of a Consent Order; Termination of the Investigation
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Carbon and Alloy Steel Cut-to-Length Plate From the Federal Republic of Germany: Recission of Antidumping Administrative Review; 2020-2021
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Tin Mill Products From Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Kingdom; Institution of Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Investigations and Scheduling of Preliminary Phase Investigations
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Integrated Circuits, Components Thereof, and Products Containing the Same; Institution of Investigation
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Gas Powered Pressure Washers From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Countervailing Duty Investigation
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Carbon and Alloy Steel Cut-to-Length Plate From Italy: Amended Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2020-2021
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada: Preliminary Results, Partial Rescission, and Preliminary Intent To Rescind, in Part, the Countervailing Duty Administrative Review, 2021
• Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review
• Carbazole Violet Pigment 23 From India: Initiation of Antidumping Duty New Shipper Review
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists Dolphin and Union Caribou as Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined the Dolphin and Union caribou, a distinct population segment of the barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) and endemic to Victoria Island and the Canadian mainland, warrants federal protection as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.
The original rule proposed a threatened listing, but new information identified a significant decline in the herd’s population. No critical habitat is designated because the Dolphin and Union caribou reside in Canada.
“This listing reflects the growing extinction crisis and highlights the importance of the ESA and efforts to conserve species before population declines become irreversible,” said Martha Williams, Fish and Wildlife Service director. “Climate change is having a profound impact on species around the world and addressing it is a priority challenge for the Administration.”
During the public comment period for the proposed rule, the Service received new survey information revealing caribou experienced a catastrophic decline from 2015 to 2018 when the herd lost 75% of its 2015 population (from 18,000 individuals down to 4,000 individuals). This decline was substantiated again in a 2020 survey (3,800 individuals). Since 1997, data shows the Dolphin and Union caribou herd declined from approximately 34,000 individuals to approximately 3,800 individuals.
A combination of climate change -related factors is the primary threat to the DPS. Dolphin and Union caribou live in harsh northern environments and rely on sea ice for migration. Climate change, specifically melting sea ice, severely impacts their ability to reach their breeding, feeding, and wintering grounds. As sea ice declines in the Dolphin and Union caribou’s habitat, new trade lanes are opening for shipping traffic. Long-term sea ice loss compounded by the breaking up of sea ice could result in increases in mass drowning events for this caribou.
Listing the Dolphin and Union caribou as endangered means an ESA section 4(d) exemption for personal sport-hunted trophies included in the proposed rule won’t be implemented. When this final rule is effective on Jan. 12, 2023, all personal and commercial imports and exports, except for those accompanied by permits issued for research and education purposes, are prohibited.
The Service makes ESA listing determinations using the best available scientific and commercial information. The ESA requires the Service to list species as endangered or threatened regardless of which country the species lives in. Although the ESA's prohibitions regarding listed species apply only to people within the jurisdiction of the United States, the ESA can generate conservation benefits such as increased awareness of listed species, research efforts to address conservation needs, or funding for in-situ conservation of the species in its range countries.
The final rule to list the Dolphin and Union caribou as endangered under the ESA will publish in the Federal Register on Dec. 13, 2022, and is effective 30 days after publication. More information on the final rule is available at http://www.regulations.gov/ by searching under docket number FWS-HQ-ES-2019-0014.
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Taxpayers Will See Improved Service This Filing Season Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act - U.S. Department of the Treasury
Today (1/23/23/) marks the beginning of tax filing season—the annual period during which Americans file their tax returns. The tax dollars collected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) each year enable the federal government to serve the American people by providing essential services and benefits. From the Social Security payments that support our seniors to paying and protecting our troops to the climate investments that will help us transition to a net-zero economy, the IRS’s ability to collect revenue undergirds the provision of the services on which all Americans depend.
The IRS has faced significant challenges in recent years, driven by chronic underinvestment in its people and technology and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the IRS has been unable to answer the high volume of taxpayer phone calls they receive, and families and businesses have seen their refunds delayed due to slow processing. Despite these challenges, IRS employees have continued to rise to the occasion, delivering economic lifelines to hundreds of millions of families and small businesses that kept people afloat during the depths of the pandemic.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has provided long-term resources to tackle these challenges head-on. Thanks to President Biden, the IRA provides additional funding to modernize the IRS—to hire the staff needed to give Americans the level of service they deserve and to build the technology and systems needed to deliver a swift and seamless tax experience. Of course, these changes will not take place overnight. Due to chronic underfunding, the IRS’s workforce remains the same size as it was in the 1970s, and the agency has fewer auditors than at any time since World War II. At the same time, the U.S. population has increased by more than 100 million since 1970, and the economy and tax code have only grown in complexity. What’s more, the IRS’s technology relies on a programming language that was created in the 1960s. Fully rebuilding the IRS will take time.
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4.3 Tons of Narcotics, 6,084 Seizures, 9,130 Agriculture and Biological Interceptions, More Than $105 Million in Fake Merchandise: Fiscal Year 2022 Yields Big Enforcement Numbers for Cincinnati CBP - U.S. Customs & Border Protection
CINCINNATI — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and specialists in Cincinnati posted record-breaking numbers of enforcement actions during Fiscal Year 2022. From October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022, Cincinnati seized 6,084 shipments, putting them in fourth place nationwide, and specialists issued 9,130 Emergency Action Notifications (EANs), third place nationwide and the highest number of agriculture and biological seizures ever recorded at the port.
“These enforcement statistics are a reflection of the talent and professionalism displayed by the men and women at the Port of Cincinnati,” said Cincinnati Port Director Richard Gillespie. “As the international trade volumes continue to soar, these officers and specialists consistently protect our frontline by stopping thousands of illicit shipments while facilitating more than 69 million legitimate transactions.”
During FY 2022, officers seized 9,471 pounds, or 4.3 tons, of narcotics in 1,043 shipments attempting to make entry, exit from, or transit through the United States. Remarkably, Port of Cincinnati outbound seizures increased by more than 1,400% from the previous fiscal year. Some notable seizures include:
• When officers stopped a shipment of phone cases in March, they noticed the cases had an unusual crystalline texture that left a white residue on their gloves during inspection. They tested the cases and found they were formed from methamphetamine. The shipment originated in California and was destined to Australia.
• In April, an officer became suspicious while inspecting a shipment of hammocks after witnessing a puff of powder rise up from a strand of the fabric during inspection. Tests showed the hammocks were soaked in methamphetamine. The shipment was coming from Mexico and headed to Spain.
• The following month, Narcotics Detector Dog “Bruno” alerted to a shipment coming from Mexico and headed to Australia. The shipment held two electric popcorn poppers with methamphetamine concealed beneath foam insulation.
Officers also found methamphetamine in nasal spray, waterproofing sealant, horse saddles, baby diapers, bottles of honey, owl decorations, and molded into cardboard to form plates and into plaster to make kids’ chairs. Sometimes criminals didn’t bother to conceal anything at all, such as a 35-pound box full of nothing but methamphetamine enroute from China to New York.
Unique concealment methods for cocaine included packed inside jet ski parts, embedded within wooden ash trays and epoxy paintings, and slid into lead aprons.
Rifle barrels were found smuggled in curtain rods, cash was smuggled in microwaves, school supplies, and speakers, and heroin mixed into shampoo and slipped into sandal soles.
Another significant seizure came disguised as a custom-made child’s loveseat. Officers located 28 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms hidden behind expanding foam under the sofa’s seat cushions. The mushrooms had been on their way to a residence in Kissimmee, Florida from Toronto, Canada.
Officers found fentanyl originating from the United States, Mexico, and Canada headed to various countries and locations throughout the U.S. One shipment held candles, shoes, and clothing that originated from Woodbridge, Virginia and was en route to Sierra Leone. A closer look at the candles showed they held small bottles of a white powder that tested positive for fentanyl.
Cincinnati’s top three narcotics seizures, by weight, were Methamphetamine (1,872 pounds), Marijuana (1,541 pounds), and Cocaine (730 pounds), which would have had a street value total over $28.5 million.
CBP Agriculture Specialists (CBPAS) assigned to the Port of Cincinnati issued 9,130 EANs for violative commodities (a 14% increase from FY21), including 242 pest interceptions (a 127% increase over FY 21).
CBPAS intercepted banana plantlets disguised as shredded squid, birds’ nests loaded into potato chip cannisters, live ants posing as hardware screws, actionable pests in educational toys, and more than 100 tropical plants smuggled between layers of clothing. One particularly interesting shipment of strawberry jam turned out to hold frozen snakes and rodents. Another shipment of kitchenware was found to contain smuggled pork and duck meat. Animal and plant products are regulated to prevent the entry of dangerous foreign pests and diseases such as African Swine Fever.
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DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals that 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl - Drug Enforcement Administration
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is alerting the public of a sharp nationwide increase in the lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills.
The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.
“More than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills being trafficked in communities across the country now contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This marks a dramatic increase – from four out of ten to six out of ten – in the number of pills that can kill,” said Administrator Anne Milgram. “These pills are being mass-produced by the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel in Mexico. Never take a pill that wasn’t prescribed directly to you. Never take a pill from a friend. Never take a pill bought on social media. Just one pill is dangerous and one pill can kill.”
Last year, the DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on the widespread drug trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills in American communities. These pills are largely made by two Mexican drug cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, to look identical to real prescription medications, including OxyContin®, Percocet®, and Xanax®, and they are often deadly. In 2021, the DEA seized more than 20.4 million fake prescription pills. Earlier this year, the DEA conducted a nationwide operational surge to target the trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and, in just over three months, seized 10.2 million fake pills in all 50 states. Through its One Pill Can Kill campaign, the DEA is working to alert the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills.
Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States.
For more information on the dangers of fentanyl, please visit Fentanyl Awareness (dea.gov).
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Wireless Customers Who Were Subject to Data Throttling by AT&T Can Apply for a Payment from the FTC - Federal Trade Commission
Those who had unlimited data plans with AT&T between 2011-2015 may be eligible
The Federal Trade Commission opened a claims process for former AT&T customers who have yet to claim a refund stemming from the FTC’s lawsuit against the company for misleading consumers about its unlimited data plans.
Former AT&T customers may be eligible to claim a refund from the $7 million remaining in a fund created to settle allegations that the wireless provider charged for “unlimited” data plans while reducing their data speeds, a practice known as throttling.
The FTC in 2019 required AT&T to provide $60 million for refunds for failing to disclose to millions of smartphone customers with unlimited data plans that once they reached a certain amount of data use in a given billing cycle, AT&T would reduce or throttle their data speeds. Some customers experienced data speeds so slow that many common phone applications, such as web browsing and video streaming, became difficult or nearly impossible to use.
The money paid by AT&T was deposited into a fund that the company used to provide partial refunds to current and former customers who had unlimited plans that were throttled by AT&T. The company gave a bill credit to current AT&T customers and sent refund checks to former customers.
AT&T has not been able to reach everyone who was eligible for a refund. The FTC is using the remaining $7 million from the fund to provide partial refunds to consumers who meet all these requirements:
• they are a former AT&T customer;
• they had an unlimited data plan at some point between October 1, 2011 and June 30, 2015;
• they experienced data throttling; and
• they have not received a bill credit or payment from AT&T related to this matter.
Consumers who meet these requirements can submit a claim online at www.ftc.gov/ATT. Consumers can contact the claims administrator by calling 1-877-654-1982 or emailing info@ATTDataThrottling.com if they have questions or if they would like to request a claim form. Consumers have until May 18, 2023, to submit a claim.