Two Chinese nationals were recently sentenced to lengthy prison sentences for importing fentanyl precursor chemicals and money laundering through Wuhan-based chemical manufacturer Amarvel Biotech, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced last week. Qingzhou Wang, who operated as Amarvel's principal executive, was sentenced Sept. 18 to 25 years in prison, while Yiyi Chen, the company's marketing manager, was sentenced last month to 15 years.
The U.S. asked the Supreme Court for permission to use an additional 3,000 words in its reply brief in the cases on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said a total of 9,000 words is needed given that the government will have to address "three separate response briefs, with an additional jurisdictional issue, on a highly expedited schedule" (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
Corey Biazzo, a Charlotte-based civil litigation attorney, filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court on Sept. 21 in opposition to tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Biazzo's submission is the first amicus brief filed in the case on the merits and argues that President Donald Trump's claimed tariff authority violates separation of powers principles (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
The Court of International Trade on Sept. 22 declined to reconsider its customs case finding importer BASF's fish oil ethyl ester concentrates are classified as "extract of fish" under Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading 1603. While the government said the court ignored that fish extracts must have similar characteristics to meat extracts and BASF's stipulation that its preparations aren't fatty acids, Judge Joseph Laroski said he explicitly considered both arguments.
The U.S. filed its opening brief at the Supreme Court on Sept. 19 in the lead cases on the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said the reciprocal tariffs and tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico meant to stop the flow of fentanyl are a valid exercise of IEEPA, adding that the tariffs are a proper expression of presidential policymaking in emergency situations.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will consider Nebraska man Byungmin Chae's appeal regarding one question on the April 2018 customs broker license exam without holding oral argument, according to a Sept. 19 notice from the court. The court said the case will be submitted to a three-judge panel on the court who will decide the appeal on the briefs only (Chae v. United States, Fed. Cir. # 25-1379).
The U.S. agreed to classify importer Robert Bosch's human machine interface controllers under the duty-free Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading of 8517.62.00, according to a stipulated judgment filed at the Court of International Trade on Sept. 19. CBP initially classified the human machine interface controllers under HTS subheading 8543.70.99, which is dutiable at 2.6% and covers other electrical machines and apparatus, having individual functions and not specified elsewhere in the chapter. Subheading 8517.62.00 provides for "Machines for the reception, conversion and transmission or regeneration of voice, images or other data, including switching and routing apparatus" (Robert Bosch v. United States, CIT # 20-00028).
Solar cell importers and exporters, led by the American Clean Power Association, moved the Court of International Trade on Sept. 18 to stay its ruling vacating the Commerce Department's 2022-2024 duty "pause" on the collection of antidumping and countervailing duties on solar cells and modules from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam (Auxin Solar v. United States, CIT # 23-00274).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Sept. 16 proposed amending seven of its practice rules and four practice notes to its rules. The court said public comments on the proposed changes are due by Oct. 16. If approved, the amendments would take effect on Dec. 1.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Sept. 18 issued its mandate in an antidumping duty case. The mandate comes after the court sustained the Commerce Department's non-market economic policy in AD proceedings despite the fact that the agency hadn't codified the policy in its regulations at the time the underlying review was challenged (see 2507280046). The court said its long line of cases upholding the policy confirms its validity, adding that, even if those cases didn't exist, the NME policy is an evidentiary presumption, which doesn't require notice-and-comment rulemaking (Jilin Forest Industry Jinqiao Flooring Group v. United States, Fed. Cir. # 23-2245).