Japan and the United States will resume next week in Tokyo auto trade talks connected to the Pacific free trade initiative, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Friday. During a two-day meeting next Wednesday and Thursday, Takeo Mori, Japanese ambassador in charge of economic diplomacy, and Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler will aim to bridge gaps over nontariff measures in the auto sector, which has been one of the sticking points in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks.

An independent US quasi-judicial federal agency has ruled against imposing any anti-dumping duty against certain categories of steel threaded rod from India. The ruling by United States International Trade Commission (USITC) came yesterday a month after US Department of Commerce determined that Indian steel threaded rod was being dumped in the country and sought imposition of anti—dumping duty against it.

The European Union is likely to consider filing appeals with the World Trade Organization (WTO) after Russia announced import bans on products from the EU, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said Thursday.

Retaliating for U.S. sanctions over Ukraine, Russia will ban or limit all American agricultural products for up to a year, a Kremlin official said Wednesday. All fruits and vegetables from the European Union will also be locked out, the country's agricultural and veterinary watchdog told RIA Novosti. Produce from Canada and Japan will also be blocked.

Japan has decided not to extend punitive tariffs imposed on some products imported from the United States in retaliation for a U.S. anti-dumping trade law known as the Byrd amendment. The current retaliatory tariffs are to expire on Aug. 31. Additional 17.4 percent tariffs are levied on 13 items, including some types of bearings and stainless steel bars.

The Competition Management Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said on August 6 that CITT decided to conduct the investigation after it received a report from the Canada Border Services Agency on carrying out the anti-dumping price and anti-subsidy investigation on OCTG imported from some countries, including Vietnam on July 21, 2014.Those who want to take part in the investigation are required to send their application to CITT before August 5. List of participants will be announced on August 8.

DGAD has recommended imposing anti-dumping duties from $0.11 per watt to $0.81 per watt on solar imports, which could escalate project costs between 18.8% and 75%, says ASSOCHAM While companies that are dependent on imports of soar modules from China and other countries are vehemently opposed to imposition of anti-dumping duties on solar modules (Read Anti-dumping duty on solar modules will be a big mistake: N. Surana), the Indian government hinted today that it may be a reality soon.

Bi-metal fasteners are excluded from the antidumping measures against stainless steel fasteners imported from Mainland China and Chinese Taiwan for their differences in physical, chemical and technical characteristics in comparison with stainless steel fasteners according to the publication of Official Journal of the European Union on 31 July 2014.  Bi-metal fasteners fall within CN code ex 7318 14 10. 

The Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has written a letter to India’s Ministry of Financestating project costs would inflate by as much as 75% if anti-dumping duties are introduced.  The letter, published last week, stated that if anti-dumping duties are imposed on 22 August, a minimum increase in project costs of 18.83%, to a maximum of a 75% price increase can be expected.

Sri Lanka Bureau of Foriegn Employment (SLBFE) chairman Amal Senalankadhikara, APL Group of Companies chairman Anura Lekamge, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Vietnamese ambassador to Sri Lanka Ton Sinh Thanh at the opening of the Sri Lanka and Vietnam Business Centre at APL Green Towers,Kelaniya.