[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 56 (Friday, March 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15067-15068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05845]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 337-TA-976]


Certain Woven Textile Fabrics and Products Containing Same; 
Issuance of a General Exclusion Order; Termination of the Investigation

AGENCY: International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade 
Commission has issued a general exclusion order barring entry of 
certain woven textile fabrics and products containing same. The 
investigation is terminated.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sidney A. Rosenzweig, Esq., Office of 
the General Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202) 708-2532. Copies of non-
confidential documents filed in connection with this

[[Page 15068]]

investigation are or will be available for inspection during official 
business hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the Office of the Secretary, 
U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 
20436, telephone (202) 205-2000. General information concerning the 
Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server at 
https://www.usitc.gov. The public record for this investigation may be 
viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov. Hearing-impaired persons are advised that information 
on this matter can be obtained by contacting the Commission's TDD 
terminal on (202) 205-1810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission instituted this investigation 
on December 18, 2015, based on a supplemented and twice-amended 
complaint filed by AAVN, Inc. of Richardson, Texas (``AAVN''). 80 FR 
79094 (Dec. 18, 2015). The complaint alleged violations of section 337 
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), in the 
importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the 
sale within the United States after importation of certain woven 
textile fabrics and products containing same, by reason of infringement 
of claims 1-7 of U.S. Patent No. 9,131,790 (``the '790 patent'') and/or 
by reason of false advertising. The notice of investigation named 
fifteen respondents: AQ Textiles, LLC of Greensboro, North Carolina; 
Creative Textile Mills Pvt. Ltd. of Mumbai, India and Indo Count 
Industries Ltd., both of Mumbai, India; Indo Count Global, Inc. of New 
York, New York; GHCL Limited of Uttar Pradesh, India; Grace Home 
Fashions LLC of New York, New York; E & E Company, Ltd. of Maharashtra, 
India; E&E Company, Ltd. d/b/a JLA Home of Fremont, California; Welspun 
Global Brands Ltd. of Gujarat, India; Welspun USA Inc. of New York, New 
York; Elite Home Products, Inc. of Saddle Brook, New Jersey; Pacific 
Coast Textiles, Inc. and Amrapur Overseas, Inc., both of Garden Grove, 
California; Westport Linens, Inc. of New York, New York; and Pradip 
Overseas Ltd. of Ahmedabad, India (``Pradip''). In the course of the 
investigation, fourteen of the respondents were terminated from the 
investigation based upon settlement agreement or consent order. See 
Order No. 21 at 2-3 (Nov. 10, 2016) (summarizing the procedural history 
of the investigation). The last remaining respondent was Pradip.
    AAVN accused Pradip of false advertising, specifically alleging 
that Pradip misrepresented the thread count of sheets manufactured in 
India, imported into the United Sates, and sold in United States 
department stores. Second Am. Compl. ]] 39-41, 80 (Nov. 12, 2015); id. 
at Ex. 46 (``800 Thread Count'' sheets measured at 252.7 threads). 
Although Pradip responded to the complaint, Pradip later terminated its 
relationship with its attorneys and represented that it would not 
participate in the remainder of the investigation. See Order No. 14 at 
1 (Apr. 19, 2016); see also 19 CFR 210.17 (failures to act).
    On September 2, 2016, AAVN moved for leave to file a motion for 
summary determination of violation. The summary determination motion 
that was appended argued, inter alia, that Pradip had violated section 
337 by falsely advertising the thread count of its imported sheets, 
that the false advertising was deceptive, material, and injurious to 
AAVN. AAVN sought a general exclusion order and 100 percent bond during 
the Presidential review period. See 19 U.S.C. 1337(d)(2), (j)(3). On 
September 15, 2016, the Commission investigative attorney (``IA'') 
responded in support of the motion for leave and the accompanying 
summary determination motion including its proposed relief. Pradip did 
not respond. See 19 CFR 210.17(c).
    On November 10, 2016, the ALJ granted the motion for summary 
determination as an initial determination (Order No. 21). The ID found 
that AAVN had shown a violation of section 337 by reason of false 
advertising under section 43 of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 
1125(a)(1)(B). Order No. 21 at 7-9, 13-15. As to remedy, citing 19 
U.S.C. 1337(d)(2), which sets forth the test for issuance of a general 
exclusion order, id. at 16, the ALJ found that ``the evidence shows a 
widespread pattern of violation of Section 337,'' id. at 17. The ALJ 
also found that ``the evidence shows that it is difficult to identify 
the source and manufacturers of the falsely advertised products,'' 
because ``U.S. retailers fail to identify the manufacturer, importer or 
seller of the textile products at the point of sale.'' Id. at 18. Nor 
do import records ``reveal the names of the original manufacturers of 
the materials used to construct the imported products.'' Id. 
Accordingly, the ALJ found ``that the evidence shows that it is 
difficult, if not impossible, to identify the sources of the falsely 
advertised goods.'' Id. Based on these findings the ALJ recommended the 
issuance of a general exclusion order. Id. In the alternative, the ALJ 
recommended the issuance of a limited exclusion order. Id. at 19. The 
ALJ recommended that bond be set at 100 percent of the entered value of 
the falsely advertised products. Id.
    On December 20, 2016, the Commission determined not to review Order 
No. 21, resulting in a finding of a violation of section 337. 81 FR 
95195 (Dec. 27, 2016). The Commission requested written submissions on 
remedy, the public interest, and bonding. Id. at 95196. On January 6, 
2017, AAVN and the IA filed submissions on these issues. On January 13, 
2017, the IA filed a reply to AAVN's submission. No other submissions 
were received.
    The Commission finds that the statutory requirements for relief 
under 19 U.S.C. 1337(d)(2) are met. In addition, the Commission finds 
that the public interest factors enumerated in 19 U.S.C. 1337(d)(1) do 
not preclude issuance of the statutory relief.
    The Commission has determined that the appropriate remedy in this 
investigation is a general exclusion order prohibiting the entry of 
certain woven textile fabrics and products containing same that are 
falsely advertised through a misrepresentation of thread count. The 
Commission has also determined that the bond during the period of 
Presidential review pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1337(j) shall be in the 
amount of 100 percent of the entered value of the imported articles 
that are subject to the general exclusion order. The Commission's order 
was delivered to the President and to the United States Trade 
Representative on the day of its issuance.
    The authority for the Commission's determinations is contained in 
section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), and 
in part 210 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 
part 210).

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: March 20, 2017.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2017-05845 Filed 3-23-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P