Data from a “preliminary” study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) shows interconnection is only one of “numerous reasons a broadband user could have a frustrating experience with their broadband,” said Doug Brake, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation telecom policy analyst, in a blog post (http://bit.ly/1ijT3X7). The MIT/UCSD study, released last week, showed congestion on the Internet doesn’t appear to be widespread and is mostly confined to issues like Netflix’s streaming latency (CD June 19 p9). Blaming network congestion on ISPs, as Netflix has, “is not at all supported by recent data collected by the FCC that shows ISPs deliver, on average, 101 percent of advertised speeds,” Brake said.
The Commerce Department issued the final results of a changed circumstances review of lined paper products from India (A-533-843), finding Navneet Education Limited is the successor to Navneet Publications (India) Ltd. for AD duty purposes. Just as it had found in its preliminary results in April (see 14041710), Commerce found that the company underwent a simple name change. Beginning on June 24, entries of lined paper products exported by Navneet Education will get the zero percent AD duty rate assigned to Navneet Publications in the most recent administrative review (see 14050615). As such, entries from Navneet Education will not be subject to AD duty cash deposit requirements until further notice.
The Commerce Department issued the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on steel nails from the United Arab Emirates (A-520-804). The agency preliminarily assigned Precision Fasteners a high 184.41% penalty rate because of the company's alleged noncooperation. If these preliminary results are confirmed in the final results, all entries of subject merchandise between Nov. 3, 2011 and April 30, 2013 produced or exported by Precision Fasteners will be assessed AD duties at that rate.
The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on diamond sawblades and parts thereof from China (A-570-900). These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD duties on importers for entries between Nov. 1, 2011 and Oct. 31, 2012. New AD duty cash deposit rates set in this review will take effect June 24.
The Commerce Department issued antidumping duty orders on prestressed concrete steel rail tie wire from Mexico (A-201-843) and China (A-570-990). The order details a "gap period" of June 11-22 of no AD duty liability due to the expiration of the "provisional measures" period.
A U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas, denied motions Thursday for a preliminary injunction and expedited discovery in the planned merger of retail chain Hastings Entertainment and affiliates of Hastings shareholder Joel Weinshanker. A lawsuit challenging the planned merger of Hastings with Draw Another Circle and Hendrix Acquisition Corp. (CED March 18 p7) was filed on behalf of Hastings shareholders March 28. On May 28, the plaintiffs filed a motion for expedited discovery and a motion for a temporary restraining order to enjoin the proposed transaction from closing. On May 30, the court issued an order under which Hastings was restricted from consummating the merger before June 12, the date for a scheduled hearing (CED June 3 p8). But evidence introduced at the hearing on the motions did not establish that the plaintiffs would suffer “irreparable injury” if relief weren’t granted, Judge Mary Lou Robinson said in her decision Thursday. The plaintiffs also didn’t show that there was a “substantial likelihood of success on the merits” in the case, or that other interested parties wouldn’t “suffer substantial harm” if a restraining order were granted until a trial on the merits could be held, she said. Hastings believes the lawsuit was “improperly and prematurely filed” under Texas law and that the claims alleged in it were “factually incorrect and deficient as a matter of law,” it said Friday. Hastings will “vigorously dispute these claims throughout the life” of the litigation, it said. A special stockholders meeting to vote on the merger will be held July 15, it said.
ICANN’s development of a proposal to transition the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to a global multistakeholder body will dominate discussions at the ICANN 50 conference in London this week, said stakeholders planning to attend. The conference was to have begun Sunday, though preliminary meetings began Thursday (http://bit.ly/1pPDwAe). The transition proposal, which must be approved by NTIA, has been met with resistance from many House Republicans, who fear the move could jeopardize Internet security and openness (WID April 11 p1).
ICANN’s development of a proposal to transition the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to a global multistakeholder body will dominate discussions at the ICANN 50 conference in London this week, said stakeholders planning to attend. The conference was to have begun Sunday, though preliminary meetings began Thursday (http://bit.ly/1pPDwAe). The transition proposal, which must be approved by NTIA, has been met with resistance from many House Republicans, who fear the move could jeopardize Internet security and openness (CD April 11 p2).
The Commerce Department is beginning antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on steel nails from India, South Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam, it said in a fact sheet released June 19. Mid Continent Steel & Wire requested the investigations on May 29, alleging that importers have shifted their orders to these seven countries and continued to import dumped and illegal subsidized steel nails since duties were put on China and the United Arab Emirates (see 14053027). The International Trade Commission is set to make its preliminary injury determination by July 14. These AD/CV duty investigations will only continue if the ITC finds injury. ITT will provide more details upon publication of the initiation notice in the Federal Register.
The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on magnesium metal from China (A-570-896). Commerce continued to find the only respondent, Tianjin Magnesium International, Co., Ltd. (TMI), had no shipments of subject merchandise to the U.S. during the period of review. As such, TMI's AD cash deposit rate will remain at rate set for TMI in the most recent prior administrative review.