The Commerce Department issued Federal Register notices on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on cast iron soil pipe fittings from China (A-570-062/C-570-063). The agency will determine whether imports of Chinese soil pipe fittings are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value or are illegally subsidized. The CV duty investigation covers entries Jan. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2016. The AD duty investigation covers entries Jan. 1, 2017, through June 30, 2017.
A mix of “creative cases” is needed to remedy trade violations created by Chinese industrial overcapacity, including Section 301 investigations and self-initiating antidumping and countervailing duty cases, Gilbert Kaplan, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be under secretary of Commerce for international trade, told the Senate Finance Committee Aug. 3. “I think it’s time maybe to dust off … Section 301,” he said. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the president to take all "appropriate and feasible steps" to eliminate “unreasonable restrictions” of countries found to “burden or restrict” U.S. commerce. The statute authorizes the executive branch to retaliate against these restrictions as well as anti-competitive subsidies through duties, other import restrictions and withholding trade agreement benefits.
A coalition of domestic manufacturers filed a petition on July 13 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on cast iron soil pipe fittings from China. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on cast iron soil pipe fittings that could eventually result in the assessment of AD/CV duties. The coalition that requested the duties, known as the Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, includes as individual members AB&I Foundry, Charlotte Pipe & Foundry, and Tyler Pipe.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will push for codifying prohibition of tariffs on e-commerce and for raising Mexico’s and Canada’s de minimis levels, USTR Robert Lighthizer told senators June 21. Canada has a de minimis threshold of $15 and Mexico has a $50 level, while the U.S. has an $800 de minimis level. “There are real differences in the three countries between the de minimis levels, and … the United States has what is clearly the most modern, the most enlightened” threshold, Lighthizer said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing exploring the Trump administration’s trade policy and USTR’s fiscal year 2018 budget request. “And that is something that I’m sure that we will pursue, and I hope that we would end up with a good result in this area.” Lighthizer added that the new NAFTA should add a digital trade chapter.
U.S. and Indonesian government officials met June 12-13 under their bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and agreed on next steps for resolving bilateral issues and further building trade relations, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said (here). U.S. officials outlined the Trump administration’s focus on “making concrete progress” on agriculture, high-tech products, and digital and financial services, among other areas, USTR said. The two nations discussed a work plan to address IP concerns, “recognizing the urgency of progress,” as USTR listed Indonesia on its Special 301 Priority Watch List (see 1704280026). U.S. and Indonesian officials also met with stakeholders from both countries on key trade issues of concern, USTR said.
The FCC Media Bureau implemented "non-substantive changes" to several forms to reflect 2016 changes to media ownership and foreign ownership rules, said a public notice Wednesday. Affected forms are 301, 303-S, 3114/315, 316, 340, 345, and 349.
The Office of Management and Budget approved information collection requirements of the FCC 2014 quadrennial review, and those changes took effect Tuesday, said an announcement in Tuesday's Federal Register. The affected forms include 301 (application for construction permit for commercial station) and 2100 (application for Media Bureau audio and video service authorization, Schedule A).
CBP is seeking comments by June 5 on an existing information collection for bonds. CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours or the information collected.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative maintained the 11 countries included on its 2016 mid-tier priority watch list for copyright and other IP rights violations and 23 countries on that year’s lower-tier watch list (see 1604270049) in the same rankings for USTR’s 2017 Special 301 report on the global status of IP rights enforcement. On the 2017 priority watch list: China and India, which perennially appear on that list because of ongoing IP rights enforcement problems. The office again didn't include any countries on its top-tier priority foreign country list.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative maintained the 11 countries included on its 2016 mid-tier priority watch list for copyright and other IP rights violations and 23 countries on that year’s lower-tier watch list (see 1604270049) in the same rankings for USTR’s 2017 Special 301 report on the global status of IP rights enforcement. On the 2017 priority watch list: China and India, which perennially appear on that list because of ongoing IP rights enforcement problems. The office again didn't include any countries on its top-tier priority foreign country list.