The Commerce Department finalized another new exemption for off-grid panels from antidumping and countervailing duties on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from China (A-570-979/C-570-980), it said in the final results of a changed circumstances review. Commerce said “substantially all” U.S. producers of solar cells don't oppose a request from Nextpower, formerly known as Nextracker, to create the exemption. As a result, Commerce is adding the following exemption to the scope of the AD/CVD orders on solar cells from China:

The Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission published the following Federal Register notices Dec. 18 on AD/CVD proceedings:

The Commerce Department issued antidumping duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel products from Australia (A-602-812), Brazil (A-351-862), Canada (A-122-871), Mexico (A-201-863), the Netherlands (A-421-818), South Africa (A-791-829), Taiwan (A-583-878), Turkey (A-489-855), the United Arab Emirates (A-520-811) and Vietnam (A-552-843, as well as countervailing duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel products from Brazil (C-351-863), Canada (C-122-872), Mexico (C-201-864) and Vietnam (C-552-844)

The Commerce Department made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that steel concrete reinforcing bar from Algeria (A-721-001) are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The agency will suspend liquidation and impose antidumping duty cash requirements on entries of subject merchandise beginning Dec. 19, the date this preliminary determination is set to be published in the Federal Register.

Attorneys at Grunfeld Desiderio filed an application for a temporary restraining order last week against the liquidation of entries in various cases that were assessed tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In its response filed on Dec. 16, the U.S. repeatedly cited the Court of International Trade's recent decision to deny an injunction against liquidation in other cases seeking IEEPA tariff refunds on the grounds that the trade court has the power to order reliquidation of finally liquidated entries in Section 1581(i) cases (see 2512150029) (Strato Technology Solutions v. United States, CIT Consol. # 25-00322).

The FCC Wireless Bureau on Tuesday delayed the deadline for reply comments on the preliminary eligible-areas map for the Alaska Connect Fund (see 2511190039) from Friday to Jan. 7. The change came after the agency released a revised version of the map to “address concerns and questions from stakeholders,” said a notice in docket 23-328.

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The Commerce Department misapplied its regulations regarding the filing of ministerial error allegations during an antidumping duty administrative review, the Court of International Trade held on Dec. 15. Judge Timothy Stanceu said Commerce erred in only allowing the petitioner in an AD review to raise ministerial error allegations regarding the final results that couldn't have been raised in the petitioner's case brief, finding that this cut against the "express requirement of Section 751(h)."

California Public Utilities Commission Administrative Law Judge Elizabeth Fox is recommending that the CPUC approve Verizon's purchase of Frontier Communications, subject to an array of conditions, including state diversity, equity and inclusion requirements. The FCC signed off on the deal in May after Verizon committed to dropping DEI practices (see 505160024). FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has said the agency won't approve mergers at regulated entities that have "invidious" DEI practices (see 2502240073).

The Court of International Trade denied a group of importers' motion for a preliminary injunction against liquidation of their entries subject to tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on the basis that the trade court has the power to order reliquidation of the entries if the Supreme Court strikes down the IEEPA tariffs.