Pantone Color of the Year for 2024: Peach Fuzz

PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul.

Read and see more HERE

Marine Corps Clothing Contract Awarded

December 14, 2023, Crown Clothing Co., Vineland, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $8,731,325 modification (P00007) exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-21-D-1432) with four one-year option periods for men’s green dress coats, belts and keepers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The ordering period end date is Dec. 18, 2024. Using military service is Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Request for Comments and Notice of a Public Hearing Regarding the 2024 Special 301 Review

On December 6, 2023, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative published in the Federal Register (88 FR 84869 Request for Comments and Notice of a Public Hearing Regarding the 2024 Special 301 Review

Each year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) conducts a review to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property (IP) rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on IP protection. Based on this review, the U.S. Trade Representative determines which, if any, of these countries to identify as Priority Foreign Countries. USTR requests written comments that identify acts, policies or practices that may form the basis of a country's identification as a Priority Foreign Country or placement on the Priority Watch List or Watch List.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that revocation of the existing antidumping duty orders on low melt polyester staple fiber from South Korea and Taiwan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.

On December 6, 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that revocation of the existing antidumping duty orders on low melt polyester staple fiber from South Korea and Taiwan 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 South Korea and Taiwan will remain in place.

Today’s action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

Read more HERE.

FTC Order Requires Old Southern Brass to Pay for False Claims of “Made in the USA” and Veteran Affiliations

The Federal Trade Commission is taking action against Florida-based EXOTOUSA LLC. (d/b/a Old Southern Brass) for falsely claiming that certain company products were manufactured in the U.S, and that the company was veteran-operated and donated 10 percent of its sales to military service charities.

Read more HERE

CAFTA Commercial Availability: Notice of 14 Business Day Extension and Public Meeting

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) is considering a Commercial Availability Request for Certain Two-Way Stretch Polyester/Spandex Woven Fabric under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (“CAFTA-DR”).

The record of the Request, Response, and Rebuttal may be found on OTEXA’s website under reference number CA2023001 for KONFFETTY S.A. DE C.V.

In accordance with Section 8(c)(4) of CITA’s procedures, because there is insufficient information on the record to make a determination regarding the ability of a CAFTA-DR supplier to supply the subject product, CITA is extending the time period for its consideration of the Request by an additional 14 U.S. business days. CITA will publish its determination in this proceeding no later than January 5, 2024.

CITA has scheduled a meeting with representatives of the interested entities in this proceeding: the requester, Konffetty S.A. de C.V., (“Konffetty”) and the responder, Summitex Woven Fabrics (“Summitex”). CITA has proposed a meeting at 2:00 pm EST on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, via Microsoft Teams.

In accordance with section 8(c)(4) of CITA’s procedures, the purpose of the meeting is to allow the interested entities, Konffetty and Summitex, to provide additional evidence in support of their claims. Such evidence may include product samples, lab tests, technical reports and/or papers relating to the production of the subject fabric, detailed descriptions of production facilities and equipment, and any other relevant information (See section 8(c)(4)(i) of CITA’s procedures). Any additional information submitted during this meeting will be part of the public record, unless properly marked as business confidential (See section 3(a)(3) of CITA’s procedures).

While the meeting will be open to the public, only interested entities as defined in section 2(b) of CITA’s procedures who have submitted either a request or an offer to supply in this proceeding (namely, Konffetty and Summitex) may participate.

During the meeting, the Chairman will provide opening remarks; Konffetty will provide a brief overview of the evidence and arguments raised in its commercial availability request; Summitex will provide an overview of the evidence and arguments raised in its response submission and then substantiate its belief that it is able to supply the subject product; and then Konffetty will present its evidence and arguments substantiating its belief that Summitex cannot supply the subject product. CITA intends to allow Konffetty and Summitex to engage in a discussion and ask questions only when necessary to clarify information presented by either entity. At any time, CITA, Konffetty, or Summitex may request a closed session to discuss business confidential information, which would be held in a separate, virtual Microsoft Teams meeting room.

Please contact Laurie Mease at Laurie.Mease@trade.gov with questions regarding the format of the meeting or to register to attend. When registering, interested parties are also asked to indicate any request for reasonable accommodation, and to provide any accommodation request as soon as possible.

Berkshire Blanket & Home Company Recalls Heated Throws and Blankets Due to Fire and Thermal Burn Hazards

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