The International Trade Administration (ITA) frequently issues notices on antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued and neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period.

Rentrak said its Home Video Essentials data showed that Universal’s The Bourne Identity was the #1-rented DVD of 2003, earning $44.72 million. But Rentrak’s top 10 showed that DreamWorks and Disney’s Touchstone division had the most titles in the top 10 -- 3 each. DreamWorks’s were Catch Me If You Can at #2 with $43.90 million, Old School #3, $40.05 million; The Ring #7, $39.36 million. Touchstone’s DVDs were Bringing Down the House #4, $39.97 million; Signs #5, $39.71 million; Sweet Home Alabama, #9, $38.29 million. Rounding out the top 10 were Paramount’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days #6 ($39.45 million), HBO’s Big Fat Greek Wedding #8 ($38.76 million), Fox’s Phone Booth #10 ($36.52 million). Separately, Rentrak said preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended Jan. 4 showed the top-rented DVD was Columbia TriStar’s S.W.A.T., which -- in its first full week of availability -- earned $13.52 million in rentals. Rentrak said the only other new DVDs in the top 10 were Universal’s unrated version of the comedy American Wedding at #4 ($5.96 million) and Fox’s horror movie The Order at #7 ($5.32 million).

Electronic Arts (EA) and PS2 again dominated the U.S. videogame rental chart, Rentrak’s preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended Jan. 4 showed Thurs. Every title in the top 10 was for PS2. EA’s Need for Speed: Underground again was the #1-rented game of the week, earning an $706,499 in its 7th week of availability for $3.54 million rental earnings to date. Its 4 other games in the top 10 were Medal of Honor: Rising Sun at #4 in its 8th week (down 2 from a week ago, earning another $468,738, for $4.32 million total rentals), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at #8 in its 9th week (down 2, $340,412, $2.1 million), Madden NFL Football at #9 again in its 21st week ($319,164 million, $5.78 million), The Sims: Bustin’ Out at #10 in its 3rd week (down 1, $312,434, $804,091). Activision again had 2 games in the top 10: True Crime: Streets of L.A. at #2 in its 9th week (up 2, $501,363, $3.39 million) and Tony Hawk’s Underground at #3 again ($469,929 million to date). Rounding out the top 10: Sony Computer Entertainment’s SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs at #5 again in its 9th week ($411,658, $2.72 million), Atari’s Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 at #6 again in its 6th week ($387,940, $1.78 million), Take-Two Interactive’s Manhunt at #7 again in its 7th week ($340,695, $1.78 million).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message announcing that the affirmation of compliance for air waybill (AWB) will now be edited for format: NNN-NNNNNNNN. CBP notes that this is also a change to the BN01 and BN02 records in the 'BN' application from what was originally provided.

Although preliminary Blu-ray specifications on playback-only ROM discs are still believed to be weeks or months away, Sony said it would use the Las Vegas CES to mount “proof of concept” demonstrations for the first time publicly of a prototype ROM player capable of playing bare single- and dual-layer discs not contained in caddies.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice amending its antidumping (AD) duty order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from Netherlands in order to terminate suspension of liquidation and AD duty liability for subject merchandise with a time of entry on or after October 30, 2001 (180 days from the date of publication of the preliminary determination) through November 28, 2001 (the day before the AD duty order was published).

The ITA states that it will determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will assess, AD duties on all appropriate entries. The ITA adds that it will issue appropriate assessment instructions directly to CBP within 15 days of December 30, 2003.

Kaufman Bros. downgraded Covad Tues. to “hold” from “buy,” citing lower-than-expected line count. Kaufman analyst Rick Grubbs said Covad in preliminary 4th-quarter results issued Mon. missed its forecast for adding new lines, coming in at 26,000 instead of the 35,000-38,000 it had estimated. “Management cited competitive pricing pressures from the RBOCs and cable companies for the lower-than- expected line count and higher churn rate,” Kaufman said in a report.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice which initiates an expedited review of the countervailing (CV) duty order on hard red spring wheat from Canada for Richelain Farms (Richelain).

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated an antidumping (AD) duty investigation on ready-to-cook kosher chicken and parts thereof from Canada.