Petitions Filed Requesting the Imposition of
Antidumping and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Sol Gel
Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains from the People’s Republic of
China – Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman
& Klestadt LLP

On November 25, 2024,
Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc filed a petition for the
imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on the imports
of Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains from the People’s
Republic of China. The petition alleges dumping margins of 176.15%
from China. The petition identifies certain foreign
producers/exporters and U.S. importers of the investigated product.

The scope of the
petition covers sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains which
are comprised of minimum 94% aluminum oxide (Al2O3), and may
contain other compounds, including, but not limited to, titanium
dioxide, silicon dioxide, calcium oxide, sodium superoxide, ferric
oxide, magnesium oxide, di-aluminum magnesium tetroxide, zirconium
dioxide, or zirconium carbonate. Grain sizes of sol gel
alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains range from 0.85 mm to 0.0395
mm (which corresponds to ANSI grit sizes from 20 to 280).

The projected date of
the International Trade Commission’s Preliminary Conference is
December 17, 2024. The earliest theoretical date for retroactive
suspension of liquidation for AD is February 4, 2025; CVD is
December 16, 2024.

Please feel free to
contact one of our attorneys for further information, including a
complete scope description, complete projected schedule for the AD
and CVD investigations; the volume and value of imports; and list
of identified foreign exporters and U.S. importers.
 

CBP will Seize Aluminum Products Manufactured using
Forced Labor by Chinese-owned, Dominican-based Company – U.S. Customs
& Border Protection

CBP will seize
aluminum products manufactured using forced labor by Chinese-owned,
Dominican based company

WASHINGTON —
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a Finding against Kingtom
Aluminio S.R.L., the first Chinese-owned entity in the Dominican
Republic, based on information that reasonably indicates the use of
forced labor in violation of 19 U.S.C. § 1307 in the production of
that merchandise. Effective immediately, CBP personnel at all U.S.
ports of entry will seize aluminum extrusion and profile products
manufactured by Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L. Aluminum extrusions and
profiles are used widely to build transportation and construction
products, furniture, electronics, and more.  

CBP identified the following International Labour
Organization forced labor indicators during its investigation of
Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L.: abuse of vulnerability, intimidation and
threats, deception, withholding of wages, physical and sexual
violence, restriction of movement, and excessive overtime. 

“Trading in goods
that were manufactured at the expense of the health, safety, and
freedom of another human being is completely antithetical to
American values and the American way of life,” said CBP Senior
Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller.
 

 “With this
action, we are sending a message to those entities that continue to
attempt to circumvent U.S. trade laws – your goods are not welcome
in the United States,” said Executive Assistant Commissioner of CBP
Office of Trade, AnnMarie R. Highsmith.  

 The Finding
against Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L. is the latest action CBP has taken
to address forced labor and other human rights abuses around the
world. With this Finding issuance, CBP currently oversees and
enforces 51 withhold release orders and nine Findings under 19
U.S.C. § 1307.  

The International
Labour Organization estimates that nearly 28 million workers suffer
under conditions of forced labor worldwide. Forced labor exposes
vulnerable populations to inhumane working conditions and hurts
American workers and law-abiding businesses who cannot compete with
forced labor goods that are sold below market value. 

19 U.S.C. § 1307
prohibits the importation of “[a]ll goods, wares, articles, and
merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in
any foreign country by convict labor or/and forced labor, or/and
indentured labor, including forced or indentured child labor[.]”
When CBP has information reasonably indicating that imported goods
are made by forced labor in violation of 19 U.S.C. § 1307, the
agency will order personnel at U.S. ports of entry to seize
shipments of those goods. Such shipments will be excluded or
subjected to seizure and forfeiture if the importer fails to
demonstrate proof of admissibility in accordance with applicable
regulations. 

CBP receives
allegations of forced labor from a variety of sources including
private citizens, government agencies, media, non-government
organizations, and witnesses. Any person or organization that has
reason to believe merchandise produced with the use of forced labor
is being, or is likely to be, imported into the United States, can
report detailed allegations by contacting CBP through the
e-Allegations Online Trade Violation Reporting System or by calling
1-800-BE-ALERT. 
 

USDA-FDA Seek Information About Food Date Labeling,
Aim is to Provide Further Clarity, Transparency and Cost Savings
for U.S. Consumers – Food & Drug Administration

The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
today are announcing a joint Request for Information (RFI) about
food date labeling, which includes the use of terms such as ‘Sell
By,’ ‘Use By’ and ‘Best By’. The RFI seeks information on industry
practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on
consumer perceptions of date labeling and any impact date labeling
may have on food waste and grocery costs. For example, questions in
the RFI include which products contain date labels and the criteria
to decide what phrase to use and what date to include. The RFI also
asks questions about how consumers interpret date label
information, including whether consumers are confused by this
information – especially if they believe the dates determine
whether food is safe when in fact, they indicate quality – or
whether it has impacts on decisions made while grocery shopping or
discarding food. Finally, there are questions that explore any
relationship between date labels, food waste and household
expenses.

The USDA’s Food Safety
and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the FDA jointly have broad
jurisdiction and oversight over the U.S. food supply. They have
responsibility for ensuring that food labels on products over which
they each have jurisdiction are truthful and not misleading. The
information collected from the RFI may be used to inform future
policy decisions, guidance or consumer education campaigns on food
date labels that are intended to help reduce the premature discard
of wholesome and safe food.   

“It has been estimated
that confusion over the multitude of different date labeling terms
on food products accounts for about 20% of food waste in the home.
The information collected will help us understand consumers’
perception of terms like ‘Sell By,’ ‘Use By’ and ‘Best By,’” said
FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. “We are looking
forward to gathering valuable information to determine how date
labeling can make it easier for consumers to know whether a food is
still good to eat and avoid food waste. The FDA is committed to
doing all that we can to support informed and sound decisions that
are good for U.S. consumers.”

“Food labels contain a
wealth of information for consumers, including a food product’s
‘best if used by’ date,” said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety
Dr. Emilio Esteban. “Through this Request for Information, we hope
to learn more about how those date labels are determined and
whether they confuse consumers and lead to needless food
waste.” 

The action today is one
of many actions to be taken in response to the National Strategy
for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, which was
released by the FDA, USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) in June 2024. The USDA estimates that the average
family of four spends at least $1,500 each year on food that ends
up uneaten and the EPA estimates that, in 2019, 66 million tons of
wasted food was generated in the food retail, food service and
residential sectors, and most of this waste (about 60%) was sent to
landfills. The National Strategy lays out a path that would enable
the U.S. to meet its national goal of reducing food loss and waste
by 50% by 2030, to help reduce the environmental impacts of food
waste and lower costs for American families.

In response to the
draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and
Recycling Organics, the FDA and the USDA received over 9,800
comments encouraging an update of the federal date labeling
requirements, including standardizing date labeling. Commenters
noted that food manufacturers use a variety of phrases such as
“Sell By,” “Use By” and “Best By” on product labels to describe
dates on a voluntary basis. According to commenters, the use of
different phrases to describe dates may cause consumer confusion
and lead to the premature disposal of wholesome and safe food
because it is past the date printed on the package. The RFI
attempts to explore the issues raised in those comments by asking
stakeholders for information they have relevant to this topic. 

Both the FDA and USDA
currently recommend that food industry members voluntarily apply
the “Best if Used By” quality-based food date label, which notes
the date after which quality may decline but the product may still
be consumed. Although the FDA and the USDA encourage the use of the
phrase “Best if Used By,” current federal regulations do not
prohibit industry from using other date labeling phrases, such as
“Sell By” or “Use By,” if they are truthful and not
misleading. 

Commenters will have 60
days to provide comments responsive to one or more of the 13
questions posed. Further information on how to submit a comment can
be found here.
 

Federal Register Notices:

• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Certain Steel Wheels 12 to 16.5 Inches in Diameter From the
  People’s Republic of China: Final Results of the Expedited
  First Sunset Review of the Countervailing Duty Order; 2024
• Ceramic
  Tile from the People’s Republic of China: Rescission of
  Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024
• Steel
  Concrete Reinforcing Bar From Mexico: Preliminary Results and
  Rescission, in Part, of Antidumping Duty Administrative
  Review; 2022-2023
• Certain
  Steel Wheels 12 to 16.5 Inches in Diameter From the People’s
  Republic of China: Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset
  Review of the Antidumping Duty Order
• Glycine From
  India: Final Results of the Countervailing Duty Administrative
  Review; 2022
• Sales at
  Less Than Fair Value; Determinations, Investigations, etc.:
  Ceramic Tile From India: Preliminary Negative Determination of
  Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Postponement of Final
  Determination
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Sol
  Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains From China; Notice
  of Institution of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty
  Investigations and Scheduling of Preliminary Phase
  Investigations
• Investigations;
  Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Polyester
  Textured Yarn From China and India; Notice of Institution of
  Five-Year Reviews
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Diffusion-Annealed, Nickel-Plated Flat-Rolled Steel Products
  From Japan: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative
  Review; 2022-2023
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended
  Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review
  and Join Annual Inquiry Service List
• Certain
  Brake Drums From the Republic of Türkiye: Preliminary
  Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of
  Final Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination
• Notice of
  Scope Ruling Applications Filed in Antidumping and
  Countervailing Duty Proceedings
• Certain Brake
  Drums From the People’s Republic of China: Preliminary
  Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of
  Final Determination With Final Antidumping Duty Determination
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Circular Welded Carbon Steel Standard Pipe and Tube Products
  From the Republic of Türkiye; Welded Line Pipe From the
  Republic of Türkiye; Certain Oil Tubular Goods From the
  Republic of Türkiye; and Large Diameter Welded Pipe From the
  Republic of Türkiye: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed
  Circumstances Reviews
• Circular
  Welded Carbon Steel Standard Pipe and Tube Products From the
  Republic of Türkiye; Welded Line Pipe From the Republic of
  Türkiye; Certain Oil Tubular Goods From the Republic of
  Türkiye; and Large Diameter Welded Pipe From the Republic of
  Türkiye: Final Results of Countervailing Duty Changed
  Circumstances Reviews
• Fresh
  Tomatoes From Mexico: Final Results of the Expedited Sunset
  Review of Suspended Investigation
• Sales at
  Less Than Fair Value; Determinations, Investigations, etc.:
  Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not
  Assembled Into Modules, From Malaysia: Affirmative Preliminary
  Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, Postponement
  of Final Determination, and Extension of Provisional Measures
• Crystalline
  Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into
  Modules, From Thailand: Preliminary Affirmative Determination
  of Sales at Less-Than-Fair-Value, Affirmative Determination of
  Critical Circumstances, Postponement of Final Determination,
  and Extension of Provisional Measures
• Investigations;
  Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Steel Racks
  From China; Scheduling of Expedited Five-Year Reviews
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From Mexico: Preliminary
  Results and Recission, In Part, of Antidumping Duty
  Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Thermal Paper
  From the Republic of Korea: Preliminary Results of Antidumping
  Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Certain Low Speed Personal Transportation Vehicles From the
  People’s Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative
  Countervailing Duty Determination, Preliminary Affirmative
  Determination of Critical Circumstances, in Part, and
  Alignment of Final Determination With Final Antidumping Duty
  Determination
• Steel
  Racks and Parts Thereof From the People’s Republic of China:
  Final Results of the Expedited Sunset Review of the
  Countervailing Duty Order
• Certain
  Steel Racks and Parts Thereof From the People’s Republic of
  China: Final Results of the Expedited First Sunset Review of
  the Antidumping Duty Order
• Sales at
  Less Than Fair Value; Determinations, Investigations, etc.:
  Certain High Chrome Cast Iron Grinding Media From India:
  Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than
  Fair Value, Postponement of Final Determination, and Extension
  of Provisional Measures
   

FMC Examining Restrictive Port Practices of the
Government of Spain – Federal
Maritime Committee

The Federal Maritime
Commission (“Commission” or “FMC”) has initiated an investigation
into regulations or practices by the Government of Spain which
appear to bar certain vessels, including U.S.-flagged vessels, from
calling at ports in that country.

Laws administered by
the Commission (46 U.S.C. § 42101;
46 U.S.C. § 41108(d))
empower it to investigate whether regulations or practices of
foreign governments result in conditions unfavorable to shipping in
the foreign trade of the United States. The Commission can levy
significant remedies, including substantial daily fines and barring
foreign vessels from calling at U.S. ports, if it finds that such
conditions are taking place.

Information indicates
Spain has refused entry to certain vessels on at least three
separate occasions this year. The two most recent instances
involved U.S.-flagged vessels.

The Commission’s
investigation will commence with information gathering through a
20-day public comment period.  During this comment period, the
FMC requests information about when vessels have been barred or may
be barred from calling in Spain, which vessels have been denied
entry, and the explanation or justification provided by the
Government of Spain for such denials.

The Federal Register notice announcing
the investigation contains instructions to enable the submission of
relevant information.

The FMC is charged
with ensuring an efficient, competitive, and economical
transportation system for the benefit of the United States.
 Laws or policies by foreign governments that bar entry to
vessels documented under the laws of the United States, or vessels
documented under the laws of other countries engaged in trade with
the United States, are inconsistent with the Commission’s objective
of ensuring access to, and the well-functioning of, the complex and
interdependent system that moves goods in foreign commerce by
water.
 

CBP at JFK Seizes More Than $320,000 of Counterfeit
Cash – U.S. Customs
& Border Protection

CBP assists U.S.
Secret Service in their Investigation

NEW YORK, N.Y. —
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and U. S. Secret
Service agents are protecting your currency’s integrity ahead of
the upcoming holiday shopping season.

On November 18, CBP
officers seized a total of $304,500 in counterfeit United States
currency, from a 26-year-old male arriving from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
 The USSS was notified and responded to assist in the
investigation. The currency closely resembled legal U.S. currency
and will undergo extensive forensic examination. With the increased
use of online marketplaces creating more in-person transactions,
unscrupulous people could potentially victimize inexperienced
sellers or small businesses by using the counterfeit currency
during fraudulent purchases or in other financial fraud crimes.

“CBP has a diverse
mission, and this counterfeit currency seizure illustrates the
vigilance of our CBP officers,” said Francis J. Russo, Director of
CBP’s New York Field Operations. “Criminal groups are targeting the
people, businesses, and the security of the United States’
financial well-being by trying to make a quick buck, while
negatively impacting our economic vitality.  Our officers
working with the agents from U. S. Secret Service are there to stop
that threat to our nation.”

“The U.S. Secret
Service stands on the frontline of protecting our nation’s economy
by ensuring the integrity of its currency,” said Secret Service
Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Freaney, New York Field Office.
“This counterfeit seizure exemplifies the importance of this work
and affirms the need for strong partnerships with agencies like
Customs and Border Protection. Together, we will continue to
disrupt the kind of criminality that dupes unwitting victims and
serves to undermine the nation’s financial well-being.”

According to the U.S.
Secret Service, counterfeiting currency is a lucrative business and
is often used to finance illegal activities, including financial
fraud, narcotics smuggling, terrorism, and attacks against our
nation’s financial systems.

Both consumers and retailers can protect themselves
from inadvertently receiving counterfeit currency through
scrutinizing banknotes during transactions.

For more information
on how to identify counterfeit currency, please visit:
https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2020-12/KnowYourMoney.pdf
 

Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season with Tips from
Secure Our World – Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security
Agency

During the holiday
season, you may receive emails or text messages about a deal you
just can’t miss, or an opportunity to give for charities you don’t
recognize. Sadly, during this season of giving, we must all be on
the lookout for scammers who use tactics like asking you to click
on a link that installs malware on your device or creating a fake
online store to trick you into buying from them, resulting in your
money or even your identity being stolen. 

So how big of a
problem are holiday online shopping scams? According to the FBI,
almost 12,000 victims reported scams during the 2022 holiday
shopping season, resulting in over $73 million in losses. 

The good news is that
Secure Our World has
tips to protect you and your family, friends and business from
these scams. 

To get started, take
these steps before making any online purchases to help protect
your devices, information and accounts against scammers: 

• Update
  software to ensure your devices are protected against the
  latest threats 
• Use
  strong passwords—at least 16 characters, random, and unique
  for each account 
• Use a
  password manager to generate, save, and fill in strong
  passwords for you  
• Turn
  on multifactor authentication (MFA) for any account that
  offers it 

Check out our instructional videos for
step-by-step guidance on how to secure devices and accounts.  

Most successful
cyberattacks start with a phishing email, and during the holiday
shopping season, scammers ramp up their schemes. But don’t worry,
we’ve got you covered with a few tips to avoid the phish hook:
 

• Beware
  of phishing messages—scammers are getting better and better at
  impersonating legitimate retailers 
• Don’t
  click links or download attachments unless you’re sure of the
  sender 
• Be
  wary of requests for information such as to confirm your
  delivery address 
• Report
  scams to your email platform and then delete them 

And specifically for
the holiday season, CISA recommends purchasing with confidence
by: 

• Choosing
  reputable vendors who encrypt your information 
• Verifying
  business legitimacy through web searches and reviews 
• Using
  credit, not debit, for greater protection against unauthorized
  charges 
• Checking
  your accounts frequently for unauthorized charges 

We can all help one another stay safer online, so
share these tips with a family member or friend!  It is just
one more way we can help Secure Our World. 

Visit our Holiday Online Shopping web
page for additional tips and to learn more.