According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection administrative message, effective July 12, 2008, the International Trade Administration discontinued the suspension of liquidation for countervailing duty purposes for lightweight thermal paper from China.
The International Trade Administration has issued an AD duty order on circular welded carbon quality steel pipe (CWP) from China.
The International Trade Administration has amended its final affirmative countervailing duty determination and has issued a CV duty order on circular welded carbon quality steel pipe (CWP) from China.
The International Trade Administration has initiated an antidumping duty investigation to determine whether imports of certain tow-behind lawn groomers and certain parts thereof from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value, and a countervailing duty investigation to determine whether manufacturers, producers, or exporters of subject merchandise in China receive countervailable subsidies.
XM has gained 17 percent more subscribers since July 2007, it said in announcing preliminary Q2 results. XM now serves nearly 9.7 million subscribers, having added 322,000 new net subscribers during Q2, it said. XM had 857,000 gross auto additions and 224,000 gross retail additions, it said. Q2 churn improved to 1.67 percent compared to 1.84 percent a year ago and 1.77 for Q1, XM said. The conversion rate for promotional subscribers is expected to be between 52.7 percent and 53.4 percent, XM said. Subscription revenue for Q2 is pegged at $283 million to $288 million. XM expects to file a 10-Q report with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the second quarter “in the next few days,” it said.
XM has gained 17 percent more customers since July 2007 it said as it announced preliminary Q2 results. XM’s independent accountants have not finished reviewing the companies’ Q2 financial data and XM still is completing its normal quarter-end closing process, it said. XM now serves nearly 9.7 million subscribers, having added 322,000 new net subscribers during Q2, it said. XM had 857,000 gross auto additions and 224,000 gross retail additions, it said. Q2 churn improved to 1.67 percent compared to 1.84 percent a year ago and 1.77 for Q1, XM said. The conversion rate for promotional subscribers is expected to be between 52.7 percent and 53.4 percent, XM said. Subscription revenue for Q2 is pegged at $283 million to $288 million. XM expects to file a 10-Q report with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the second quarter in the next few days, it said.
On July 18, 2008, the World Trade Organization issued the reports of the dispute settlement panel (DSP) that had examined complaints by the U.S., the European Communities, and Canada regarding China's treatment of imported motor vehicle parts, components, and accessories (auto parts).
Broadcasters’ efforts to put more of their receivers in mobile devices like cellphones, PDAs and laptops continue, now that the FCC has issued rules on the Commercial Mobile Alert Service this month. Broadcasters lobbied FCC commissioners on the public-safety benefits of putting FM receivers in mobile phones (CD June 20 p7). Those efforts weren’t acknowledged overtly in a July 8 FCC order on the CMAS rules, but broadcasters believe carriers can use the FM system for alerts within the framework laid out by the FCC, Emmis CEO Jeffrey Smulyan said in an interview. “My understanding is that our solution fits within the rules,” he said. Meanwhile, TV broadcasters’ efforts to develop a mobile DTV system are leading them to discussions with mobile carriers as well.
Germany’s telecommunications regulator was wrong to make alternative operators pay Deutsche Telekom an additional connection charge as compensation for the deficit it incurred by providing the local loop, the European Court of Justice said Friday. The case involved a challenge by Arcor, Communication Services TELE2 and Firma 01051 Telekom against regulator BNetzA. The regulator approved DT’s request for an additional connection fee July through November 2003, of 0.004 euro a minute for providing calls originating on its network to operators with interconnection contracts, the court said. The basis was that BT’s provision of the local loop was running at deficit, the ECJ said. The decision was thrown out in 2005, and all the parties appealed to the Federal Administrative Court, which sought a preliminary ruling on the issue. The ECJ said that DT’s supplemental interconnection fee, like the charges set by its interconnection agreements, must be based on actual costs -- barring the regulator from approving a tariff that wasn’t cost-based. And it said the charge allowed DT to be reimbursed by the subscribers of other operators’ interconnected networks, a violation of free competition principle. The effect of the supplemental fee was to protect the dominant player by keeping the cost for calls of its own subscribers below the actual cost and so to finance its own deficit, the ECJ said. The dispute shows how long rate decisions in Germany wend through the courts, said telecommunications lawyer Axel Spies. The German courts now must decide how much competitive carriers have been overcharged, he said. - DS
A federal judge in Miami ordered ACES 09 show promoter Justin Finocchiaro to show why he shouldn’t be held in contempt for ignoring a July 2 preliminary injunction against using a trade name mimicking the CES brand (CED July 18 p2). U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro Thursday denied a motion by Finocchiaro for a 60-day stay of the injunction so he could find a new lawyer. Finicchiarro learned of the injunction only days ago because his lawyer dropped the case without his knowledge, he told the court. He must explain in writing why he shouldn’t be held in civil contempt. Finocchiaro didn’t reply right away Friday to our inquiries about why his ACES 09 logo remains on his company’s Web site despite the injunction and why his attorney dropped the case.