Despite progress on intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement in China and Russia, much improvement is needed, a govt. report said Fri. China will be a top IPR enforcement priority in the coming year, said the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) “Special 301” report. The USTR will scrutinize China, step up consideration of its WTO dispute settlement options and for the first time inspect IPR protection and enforcement in China by province.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a direct final rule to amend 10 CFR Part 110 (Export and Import of Nuclear Equipment and Material) in order to reflect the consolidation of all license requests (i.e., applications for export, import, combined export/import, amendments and renewals) into a revised NRC Form 7.
KVH Industries’ TracVision A5 mobile satellite system suffered from declining SUV sales, but Q1 revenue remained steady, CEO Martin Kits van Heyningen told analysts. The A5 attaches to a vehicle, rising about 5” above the roof to receive DirecTV programming. Pricing for the A5 is stable, in stark contrast to its introduction in 2004, when sluggish sales forced KVH to cut its retail to $2,295 from $3,495 (CED July 6/04 p5). “We're not seeing a lot of growth there because of the decline in sales of SUVs,” said van Heyningen. The A5 is packaged with DirecTV’s Total Choice programming, which carries a $4.99 monthly fee for existing subscribers, $41.99 for mobile-only. Overall, KVH’s land-based mobile sales declined 31% as it also suffered slow sales in the recreational vehicle (RV) market. KVH launched shipments of the TracVision R6 ($2,199) -- featuring a 14.5” diameter dish -- in March targeting the RV segment along with the TracVision R5 ($1,995). KVH’s marine sales increased 42% during the quarter as it benefitted from initial revenue from the TracVision M3, which also features a 14.5” diameter design. KVH’s defense-related sales rose 57% to $6 million, benefitting from sales of the TG-6000 fiber optic gyro-based motion sensor that’s used in torpedoes. KVH’s TacNav military navigation system accounted for about 67% of the company’s defense revenue, fiber products the rest, CFO Pat Spratt said. KVH also remains on target to ship its TracNet 100, which is being developed with an in-vehicle version of Microsoft’s MSN TV 2 Internet. The system has a built-in wireless output and connects to the Internet using high-speed EVDO cellular technology. KVH reported first-quarter net income improved to $1.2 million from $301,000 on the strength of strong marine and defense sales. Revenue rose to $20.2 million from $17.8 million.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published in the Federal Register the text of an updated five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and China's Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) regarding daily-use ceramicware manufactured in China and exported directly from China to the U.S. and intended for use in the preparation, serving, or storage of food.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently posted a March 27, 2006 version of its guidance document entitled "Latest News and Developments," which provides information on the Pilot Bond Centralization Program and current issues, policies, and procedures for processing Activity Code 1 continuous bond applications. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/08/06 news, 06030825, for Part VI, the final part of BP's series of summaries of CBP's February 13, 2006 version of its "Latest News and Developments" guidance document.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective May 15, 2006, which amends its nursery stock regulations at 7 CFR Part 319 to allow the importation of small lots of seed under an import permit with specific conditions, as an alternative to the current phytosanitary certificate requirement.
The Animal and Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule to amend its domestic quarantine regulations in 7 CFR Part 301 in order to establish a process by which a State or political subdivision of a State could request approval to impose prohibitions or restrictions on the movement in interstate commerce of specific articles, that are in addition to the prohibitions and restrictions imposed by APHIS.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a notice which extends the time it has to issue a proposed rule to address the possible unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with the mechanical malfunction of cigarette lighters.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site an "ACE Toolkit," which consists of three documents: (i) Overview of Periodic Monthly Statement; (ii) Entry Summary Accounts Revenue (ESAR) I & II Overview; and (iii) ACE Ambassador Locations. According to CBP, the toolkit provides a general overview of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and various components of key functionality.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule that would make several changes to the exotic Newcastle disease (END) domestic quarantine regulations. In addition, the proposed rule contains one change to the importation regulations.