Office of Textile and Apparel (OTEXA): ANNOUNCEMENT
http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/
04/24/2014 – The Federal Trade Commission’s final amendments to its Textile Labeling Rules were published in the Federal Register on April 4, 2014. The amended rules will become effective May 5, 2014.
Savannah CBP Nets $1M+ in Counterfeit Soccer Club Apparel
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2014-04-17-000000/savannah-cbp-nets-1m-counterfeit-soccer-club-apparel
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Soccer, known internationally as football, is the world’s most popular sport today. So it’s no wonder that some vendors will do anything to capitalize on this popularity, even if that includes resorting to theft; theft of a trademark holder’s rights and revenues.
It’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) mission to tackle counterfeit imports, and officers and import specialists in Savannah, Ga., scored a seizure of soccer apparel, April 11, which exceeded $1 million in manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP).
“Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods threatens America’s innovation economy, the competitiveness of our businesses, the livelihoods of U.S. workers, the economic security of our country, and in some cases, the health and safety of consumers,” said Reginald Manning, CBP Director of Field Operations in Atlanta. “Together with our enforcement partners, Customs and Border Protection continues to guard the nation’s borders against counterfeit products.”
The shipment arrived from China March 12. It contained 390 cartons of soccer t-shirts, socks, shorts and other merchandise that was destined to an address in Chamblee, Ga.
CBP import specialists placed an inspection hold on the shipment and had the container trucked the following day to CBP’s central examination station. That’s when CBP discovered several t-shirts bearing patches of professional soccer clubs and detained the shipment for trademark verification.
The apparel, which has an MSRP of $1,016,399, represented Arsenal, Barcelona, Celtic, Chelsea, Mexican Federation, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid football clubs.
CBP requested that the importer’s broker submit authorization letters from the respective trademark holders to import their branded items, but on March 27, the broker reported that the importer did not have authorization.
Over the next week, representatives from Arsenal, Celtic, and Chelsea football clubs reported to CBP that samples of the merchandise bearing their brand was indeed counterfeit. CBP then officially seized the shipment.
View or download still photos of the seized merchandise.
Protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) remains a CBP priority trade issue.
CBP protects businesses and consumers every day through an aggressive IPR enforcement program. CBP targets and seizes imports of counterfeit and pirated goods, and enforces exclusion orders on patent-infringing and other IPR violative goods.
The People’s Republic of China, where this shipment was manufactured, remains the primary source economy for counterfeit and pirated goods seized by CBP and its primary IPR partner, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with a total value of $1.1 billion. That number represents 68% of all IPR seizures by MSRP in FY 2013.
In addition to China, CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), seized counterfeit merchandise from 73 additional economies during FY 2013, including Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam.
View 2013 IPR enforcement statistics.
View additional information on CBP’s IPR enforcement programs.
The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) is one of the U.S. government's key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy.
Working in close coordination with the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property, the IPR Center harnesses the tactical expertise of its 21 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to intellectual property theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the health and safety of the American consumer and the U.S. economy.
Collaboration through the IPR Center led to 692 arrests, 401 criminal indictments, and 451 criminal convictions for criminal IPR infringement activities in FY 2013.
View more about the IPR Center and CBP’s border security mission at our nation’s ports of entry.
PRESS RELEASE: International Trade Administration
http://www.trade.gov/press/press-releases/
04/15/2014 Commerce Preliminarily Finds Dumping of Imports of Chlorinated Isocyanurates from Japan
04/14/2014 Commerce Preliminarily Finds Countervailable Subsidization of Imports of 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane from the People’s Republic of China
Update on Heartbleed
U.S. Department of Homeland Security / http://www.dhs.gov/blog/2014/04/18/update-heartbleed
Unfortunately, Heartbleed has become a familiar term to many people across the country. It is a serious vulnerability, a weakness in the widely-used OpenSSL encryption software that protects the electronic traffic on a large number of websites and in scores of devices. Although new computer “bugs” and malware crop up almost daily, this vulnerability is unusual in how widespread it is, it’s ease of use, the potentially damaging information it allows malicious actors to obtain, and the length of time before it was discovered. As the administration has said, the Federal government was not aware of the vulnerability until it was made public in press reports.
It is important to note that it takes time to address this issue properly. As with the private sector, government agencies must analyze their systems to identify where they have the Heartbleed vulnerability, determine how to implement the appropriate response, and then ensure that they can implement the response without disrupting critical operations. Finally, the scope and scale of this vulnerability may continue to evolve as researchers and companies discover new places or devices that may be susceptible.
This analysis has informed how the Federal government has responded to this vulnerability since its public disclosure, working at an aggressive yet appropriate pace in our response and acting out of an abundance of caution. Working with other agencies, we have:
- Enabled our network defenses across the Executive branch to detect someone trying to use the exploit and in many cases to block those attempts
- Begun scanning government networks for this vulnerability to ensure that we know where it exists
- Issued technical alerts and mitigation steps through the our National Communications and Cybersecurity Integration Center
- Engaged with our industry partners to discuss the threat posed by the vulnerability
As we conduct the scans of government systems and agencies conduct their own reviews, many government websites turn out to have never been vulnerable to Heartbleed because they did not use OpenSSL; in those cases, no further action is needed at this time. However, in those cases where agencies determine that a website or system could have been vulnerable to Heartbleed, they are taking the same steps as the private sector:
- Updating to secure versions of OpenSSL
- Re-issuing certificates for the website
- Requiring or asking users to reset their passwords, if the website permits users to login, and alerting users on a website’s homepage to this fact.
- Reminding users not to use a new password on any site that has not clearly been patched.
We will continue to focus on this issue until government agencies have mitigated the vulnerability in their systems. And we will continue to adapt our response if we learn about additional issues created by the vulnerability. The government remains committed to protecting any personally identifiable information it holds and to upholding high standards of cybersecurity.
USITC Makes Determination in Five-Year (Sunset) Review Concerning Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Seel Line Pipe from China
U.S. International Trade Commission / http://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2014/er0423mm1.htm
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that revoking the existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on circular welded carbon-quality steel line pipe from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.
As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the existing orders on imports of this product from China will remain in place.
Chairman Irving A. Williamson and Commissioners Dean A. Pinkert, David S. Johanson, Meredith M. Broadbent, and F. Scott Kieff voted in the affirmative.
Today's action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. See the attached page for background on this five-year (sunset) reviews.
The Commission's public report Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Line Pipe from China (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-455 and 731-TA-1149 (Review), USITC Publication 4464, May 2014) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.
The report will be available after May 23, 2014. After that date, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp. Copies also may be requested after that date by emailing pubrequest@usitc.gov, calling 202-205-2000, or writing to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by fax at 202-205-2104.
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BACKGROUND
The Uruguay Round Agreements Act requires the Department of Commerce to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the Department of Commerce and the USITC determine that revoking the order or terminating the suspension agreement would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or subsidies (Commerce) and of material injury (USITC) within a reasonably foreseeable time.
The Commission's institution notice in five-year reviews requests that interested parties file responses with the Commission concerning the likely effects of revoking the order under review as well as other information. Generally within 95 days from institution, the Commission will determine whether the responses it has received reflect an adequate or inadequate level of interest in a full review. If responses to the USITC's notice of institution are adequate, or if other circumstances warrant a full review, the Commission conducts a full review, which includes a public hearing and issuance of questionnaires.
The Commission generally does not hold a hearing or conduct further investigative activities in expedited reviews. Commissioners base their injury determination in expedited reviews on the facts available, including the Commission's prior injury and review determinations, responses received to its notice of institution, data collected by staff in connection with the review, and information provided by the Department of Commerce.
The five-year (sunset) reviews concerning Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Line Pipe from China were instituted on December 2, 2013.
On March 7, 2014, the Commission voted to conduct expedited reviews. Chairman Irving A. Williamson and Commissioners Dean A. Pinkert, David S. Johanson, Meredith M. Broadbent, and F. Scott Kieff concluded that the domestic group response for these reviews was adequate and the respondent group response was inadequate and voted for expedited reviews.
A record of the Commission's vote to conduct expedited reviews is available from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by telephone by calling 202-205-1802.
CPSC: Recall Roundup
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission /
http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/Multimedia/
This month on Recall Roundup. IKEA recalls children's bed canopies, Walmart recalls My Sweet Love/My Sweet Baby Cuddle Care baby dolls, and Playtex recalls Hip Hammock infant carriers:
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FDA Requires Label Changes to Warn of Rare but Serious Neurologic Problems after Epidural Corticosteriod Injections for Pain
Food & Drug Adminstration / http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm394280.htm
Safety Announcement
[04-23-2014] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that injection of corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine may result in rare but serious adverse events, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and death. The injections are given to treat neck and back pain, and radiating pain in the arms and legs. We are requiring the addition of a Warning to the drug labels of injectable corticosteroids to describe these risks. Patients should discuss the benefits and risks of epidural corticosteroid injections with their health care professionals, along with the benefits and risks associated with other possible treatments.
Injectable corticosteroids are commonly used to reduce swelling or inflammation. Injecting corticosteroids into the epidural space of the spine has been a widespread practice for many decades; however, the effectiveness and safety of the drugs for this use have not been established, and FDA has not approved corticosteroids for such use. We started investigating this safety issue when we became aware of medical professionals’ concerns about epidural corticosteroid injections and the risk of serious neurologic adverse events.1 This concern prompted us to review cases in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and in the medical literature (see
Data Summary).
To raise awareness of the risks of epidural corticosteroid injections in the medical community, FDA’s
Safe Use Initiative convened a panel of experts, including pain management experts to help define the techniques for such injections which would reduce preventable harm. The expert panel’s recommendations will be released when they are finalized.
As part of FDA’s ongoing effort to investigate this issue, we plan to convene an Advisory Committee meeting of external experts in late 2014 to discuss the benefits and risks of epidural corticosteroid injections and to determine if further FDA actions are needed.
Injectable corticosteroids include methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, betamethasone, and dexamethasone. This safety issue is unrelated to the contamination of compounded corticosteroid injection products reported in 2012.