The Court of International Trade on Jan. 14 confirmed that the government's stipulation regarding the availability of refunds from tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act "applies to all current and future similarly situated plaintiffs."
After their previous Dec. 12 reply briefs were struck, petitioners American Shrimp Processors Associations and Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Action Committee jointly opposed the motions for judgment filed by shrimp exporters from Ecuador, India and Vietnam challenging an International Trade Commission injury finding (Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila v. United States, CIT # 25-00029; Seafood Exporters Association of India v. United States, CIT # 25-00031; Shrimp Committee of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers v. United States, CIT # 25-00032).
Turkey and Madagascar told the World Trade Organization's Committee on Safeguards on Jan. 6 that they had each launched a pair of safeguard proceedings. On Dec. 31, Turkey opened safeguard proceedings on polyethylene terephthalate resin and terephthalic acid, giving interested parties 30 days from the official publication of the notice date to fill out questionnaires. On Dec. 24, Madagascar opened safeguard proceedings on plastic pipes, tubes and accessories and dry pastries and breakfast cereals, also giving parties 30 days from initiation of the investigation to submit comments.
The Commerce Department reasonably used the Thailand Board of Investment's Cost of Doing Business in Thailand 2023 report as a benchmark to determine the benefit for Vietnam's "Exemption or Reduction of Rents for Encouraged Industries" subsidy, the Court of International Trade held on Jan. 8.
David Giordano, a former trade staffer with the House Committee on Ways and Means, has joined Akin as a senior policy adviser in its lobbying and public policy practice, the firm announced. Giordano served as an international trade policy adviser to Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., from January 2023 to December 2025.
Turkey opened a safeguard investigation on paper and paperboard on Dec. 31, the country told the World Trade Organization's Committee on Safeguards. Turkey said interested parties are required to fill out investigation questionnaires within 30 days from the date of publication of the safeguard announcement and submit it to the Ministry of Trade's Directorate General for Imports.
The U.S. voluntarily dismissed one of its appeals concerning a scope proceeding on magnesia carbon bricks (MCBs) from China, though the dismissal doesn't affect the government's related appeal on the same proceeding (Fedmet Resources v. United States, Fed. Cir. #'s 26-1160, 26-1245).
After filing a joint motion to strike Thai shrimp exporter Soc Trang Seafood Joint Stock Co.’s reply brief supporting a motion for judgment (see 2512150041), the American Shrimp Processors Association and Ad Hoc Shrimp Trade Action Committee, along with the U.S., each filed separately in opposition to Soc Trang’s request for leave to amend its motion (Soc Trang Seafood Joint Stock Co. v. United States, CIT # 25-00030).
The Court of International Trade remanded the Commerce Department's expedited countervailing duty review on Canadian softwood lumber for the ninth time on Dec. 18, finding the agency abused its discretion in declining to reopen the record to let respondent Les Produits Forestiers D&G and its cross-owned affiliate Les Produits Forestiers Portbec add information to help distinguish sales affected by subsidies to unaffiliated input suppliers.
In oral argument before Court of International Trade Judge Mark Barnett, parties grappled with how much the Commerce Department was required to consider the original record of its review of the countervailing duty order on Canadian softwood lumber -- which has been subject to litigation since its results were published in 2019 (Committee Overseeing Action for Lumber International Trade Investigations or Negotiations v. U.S., CIT Consol. # 19-00122).