Eight shipping companies agreed to pay the Federal Maritime Commission about $1.2 million in civil penalties related to the agency's investigations into violations of federal shipping laws, said the FMC in a press release (here). The companies, United Arab Shipping, City Ocean Logistics, City Ocean International, CTC International, Oriental Logistics, Hyundai Logistics, Falcon Maritime and Sea Gate Logistics, settled with the FMC without admitting they violated the law or FMC regulations, said the agency. United Arab Shipping agreed to pay the largest penalty, $537,000 related to allegations that it unlawfully rebated "a portion of the applicable service contract rate in the form of an administrative fee not identified in the service contract, and for which no services were provided," said the FMC.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is soliciting participants for its pilot of the ATF partner government agency message set in the Automated Commercial Environment, it said in a notice (here). Beginning on Aug. 19, the pilot will allow importers and customs brokers to submit ATF-required data elements, including program codes, category type codes, ATF category code, type codes and exemption codes, to CBP through ACE. CBP will then electronically transmit entry and release information to ATF. Requests to participate from importers and brokers may be submitted at any time before or during the pilot to Willliam Majors at William.Majors@atf.gov.
The Earned Import Allowance Program is still unable to stop a steep decline in apparel exports from the Dominican Republic to the U.S., said the International Trade Commission in its annual report on the program released on July 24 (here). The ITC found that in 2014, "U.S. imports of woven cotton bottoms from the Dominican Republic totaled less than 8 percent of the value and quantity of imports under the program in 2010, the first full year of the program," it said. Only 5 out of 13 companies registered for the program actually used it in 2014, it said. The ITC again made three recommendations on how to fix the program, which allows duty free access for Dominican Republic apparel exporters that use U.S. fabric: lowering the two-for-one ratio of U.S. to foreign fabric to a one-for-one ratio; including other types of fabrics and apparel items in the program; and changing the requirement that dyeing, finishing, and printing of eligible fabrics take place in the U.S.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is listing the Honduran Emerald Hummingbird (Amazilia luciae) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (here). New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Aug. 28.
The U.S. International Trade Commission released its annual report on the previous year's trade-related activities, it said in a press release (here). The report (here) includes an overview of antidumping and countervailing duty, safeguard, intellectual property rights, and section 301 cases undertaken by the U.S. government in 2014. In addition, the report covers:
Alibaba will increase counterfeit merchandise in global circulation if the company succeeds in plans to expand its platform and generate more sales, said Juanita Duggan, CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, in a July 17 letter to Jack Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba (here). AAFA and Alibaba have ramped up collaboration over the past year, but that hasn't yielded a “meaningful outcome,” said Duggan.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) member nations and non-governmental organizations should strengthen IP rights in all new and existing treaties, said a coalition of 85 free market-oriented groups Monday in a joint letter (here) to WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. The letter, organized by Americans for Tax Reform affiliate Property Rights Alliance (PRA), urges the European Commission, WIPO, other intergovernmental organizations and NGOs to protect IP rights in all trade agreements, protect IP rights on the Internet and enhance IP rights as a tool to promote free markets. “Advanced societies have long understood that by protecting the proprietary rights of artists, authors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and inventors, they were promoting the greater public welfare,” the PRA-led coalition said in the letter. “The continued protection of these fundamental rights is essential to global innovation, creativity and competitiveness.” The coalition wants the letter to “encourage the leaders of international organizations and governments to work together to promote the rule of law and protect strong IP rights as the engine of fair, prosperous and transparent societies,” PRA Executive Director Lorenzo Montanari said in a statement. “Ensuring that intellectual property rights are respected and protected in every nation will promote prosperity, innovation and creativity around the globe.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will hold a public webcast on Sept. 16 to discuss import and export regulations for infectious biological agents, infectious substances, and vectors, and import and export exemptions (here). The webcast will also include officials from other agencies, including the Department of Transportation, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Commerce Department, Food and Drug Administration, and CBP. Registration instructions are available (here).
The Fish and Wildlife Service will extend its ban on the importation of sport-hunted African elephant trophies taken in Zimbabwe on or after April 4, 2014, it said in a notice (here). The ban, originally announced in 2014 (see 14050931), will continue through the 2015 hunting season and “future hunting seasons,” said FWS.
The International Trade Commission is asking for comments by July 30 (here) in connection with a review of Generalized System of Preferences announced by the U.S. Trade Representative on July 6 (see 1507060025). The commission is required to submit a report to USTR by Aug. 28 on the likely impact of competitive need limitation waivers for two products from Thailand that are set to lose eligibility unless the waivers are granted. The ITC will also report on the potential addition to GSP of five HTS subheadings for least-developed beneficiaries.