By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Copyright Office recommended extending an existing exemption that allows vehicle owners and authorized third service and repair parties to perform vehicle diagnosis, repair and modification without fear of prosecution under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The exemption was first granted in 2015 and is subject to renewal every three years. The extension was requested by SEMA, along with the Auto Care Association and Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association. The three trade associations argued that the exemption is needed since vehicles are becoming more digital and the affected parties will otherwise be denied the chance to make vehicle repairs and modifications. The Copyright Office will now consider requests to rescind or limit the exemption, if any, before it is formally renewed next October.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Copyright Office recommended extending an existing exemption that allows vehicle owners and authorized third service and repair parties to perform vehicle diagnosis, repair and modification without fear of prosecution under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The exemption was first granted in 2015 and is subject to renewal every three years. The extension was requested by SEMA, along with the Auto Care Association and Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association. The three trade associations argued that the exemption is needed since vehicles are becoming more digital and the affected parties will otherwise be denied the chance to make vehicle repairs and modifications. The Copyright Office will now consider requests to rescind or limit the exemption, if any, before it is formally renewed next October.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Copyright Office recommended extending an existing exemption that allows vehicle owners and authorized third service and repair parties to perform vehicle diagnosis, repair and modification without fear of prosecution under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The exemption was first granted in 2015 and is subject to renewal every three years. The extension was requested by SEMA, along with the Auto Care Association and Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association. The three trade associations argued that the exemption is needed since vehicles are becoming more digital and the affected parties will otherwise be denied the chance to make vehicle repairs and modifications. The Copyright Office will now consider requests to rescind or limit the exemption, if any, before it is formally renewed next October.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Department of Commerce has delayed until December 29 the deadline for issuing its preliminary decision on whether passenger and light-truck tires from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are being sold in the United States at less than fair value. The request for the 50-day delay was made by the petitioner, the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which believes the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) needs additional time to gather information. The deadline for issuing a final determination has been delayed as well, from late January to mid-March 2021.

The USW antidumping petition cites dumping margins as high as 195% for Korea, 147% for Taiwan, 217% for Thailand and 33% for Vietnam. The USW also filed a petition alleging that Vietnamese tire producers are benefiting from certain government subsidies subject to countervailing duties.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has already made an initial determination that U.S. industry is likely being harmed by the alleged dumping and subsidies. Once the ITA calculates preliminary dumping and subsidy rates, U.S. Customs will be directed to collect corresponding cash deposits from importers. For duties to take effect, the ITC must confirm that there is harm or threatened harm to U.S. industry once the ITA has issued its final dumping and subsidy calculations.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Department of Commerce has delayed until December 29 the deadline for issuing its preliminary decision on whether passenger and light-truck tires from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are being sold in the United States at less than fair value. The request for the 50-day delay was made by the petitioner, the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which believes the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) needs additional time to gather information. The deadline for issuing a final determination has been delayed as well, from late January to mid-March 2021.

The USW antidumping petition cites dumping margins as high as 195% for Korea, 147% for Taiwan, 217% for Thailand and 33% for Vietnam. The USW also filed a petition alleging that Vietnamese tire producers are benefiting from certain government subsidies subject to countervailing duties.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has already made an initial determination that U.S. industry is likely being harmed by the alleged dumping and subsidies. Once the ITA calculates preliminary dumping and subsidy rates, U.S. Customs will be directed to collect corresponding cash deposits from importers. For duties to take effect, the ITC must confirm that there is harm or threatened harm to U.S. industry once the ITA has issued its final dumping and subsidy calculations.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Department of Commerce has delayed until December 29 the deadline for issuing its preliminary decision on whether passenger and light-truck tires from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are being sold in the United States at less than fair value. The request for the 50-day delay was made by the petitioner, the United Steelworkers (USW) union, which believes the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) needs additional time to gather information. The deadline for issuing a final determination has been delayed as well, from late January to mid-March 2021.

The USW antidumping petition cites dumping margins as high as 195% for Korea, 147% for Taiwan, 217% for Thailand and 33% for Vietnam. The USW also filed a petition alleging that Vietnamese tire producers are benefiting from certain government subsidies subject to countervailing duties.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has already made an initial determination that U.S. industry is likely being harmed by the alleged dumping and subsidies. Once the ITA calculates preliminary dumping and subsidy rates, U.S. Customs will be directed to collect corresponding cash deposits from importers. For duties to take effect, the ITC must confirm that there is harm or threatened harm to U.S. industry once the ITA has issued its final dumping and subsidy calculations.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By Della Domingo

Chris Kersting

“Two Guys Garage” hosts Kevin Byrd and Willie B. take listeners behind the scenes to talk with SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting in a recent interview for the “Two Guys Garage” podcast.

Listen as the three talk about why model cars and stickers are significant to the history of SEMA, plans for the new SEMA360 online marketplace occuring in less than two weeks, and the worst SEMA Show after-party ever.

The 50-minute interview will give most listeners a chance to learn about what SEMA does beyond the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and find out what the association has in store for the future.

By Della Domingo

Chris Kersting

“Two Guys Garage” hosts Kevin Byrd and Willie B. take listeners behind the scenes to talk with SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting in a recent interview for the “Two Guys Garage” podcast.

Listen as the three talk about why model cars and stickers are significant to the history of SEMA, plans for the new SEMA360 online marketplace occuring in less than two weeks, and the worst SEMA Show after-party ever.

The 50-minute interview will give most listeners a chance to learn about what SEMA does beyond the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and find out what the association has in store for the future.

By SEMA Editors

The specialty-equipment aftermarket industry is ready to come together for SEMA360, the new online event taking place November 2-6, 2020, that will allow industry professionals to connect and conduct much-needed business.

More than 650 manufacturers will headline SEMA360 with a Showcase page at the event, which SEMA created as an alternative after announcing that the in-person SEMA Show would not take place in Las Vegas in 2020.

“The automotive specialty-equipment industry has a history of successfully pivoting to meet market needs and finding innovative solutions to accomplish a goal,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. "Given that the year 2020 has been filled with challenges and uncertainty, the industry is hungry for a platform where they can get together and focus on doing business. SEMA360 is the ideal solution for companies that want to connect and discover what’s new in the market—whether it’s racing and performance, trucks and off-road, hot rod and restoration or collision and tools. Manufacturers from every segment are participating and they have lots of news to share.”

Open exclusively to the industry and not to the general public, SEMA360 is designed to make it easy and efficient for attendees to see new trends and products, meet directly with manufacturers, hear from industry leaders and experts and engage in conversations. The exclusive features in SEMA360 will allow buyers to:

• Connect with more than 650 industry-leading manufacturers.
• Explore more than 2,200 products in the New Products Showcase.
• See more than 300 unique builds in the Builders Showcase.
• Choose from more than 30 education seminars to attend.
• Witness the winner announcements of the Launch Pad and Battle of the Builders competitions.
• Access manufacturer press conferences, celebrity interviews and breaking news.

Additionally, more than 100 companies that have never exhibited at the SEMA Show have signed up to showcase their products at SEMA360, providing new business opportunities for buyers.

Buyers and attendees are encouraged to register now to secure their credentials in time for SEMA360. The fee is $25 for qualified buyers who are not SEMA members, and the fee is waived for buyers who are SEMA members.

“Attending SEMA360 is a great return on investment for buyers who want to stay on top of the latest trends, products, and technology coming into market,” said Gattuso. “It's the only event where they'll be able to interact and engage with hundreds of companies and see thousands of new products from the comfort of their home or office.”

To register for SEMA360 or for more information, visit www.SEMA360.com. To see the list of participating manufacturers, log on to www.sema360.com/manufacturer-list.html.

By SEMA Editors

The specialty-equipment aftermarket industry is ready to come together for SEMA360, the new online event taking place November 2-6, 2020, that will allow industry professionals to connect and conduct much-needed business.

More than 650 manufacturers will headline SEMA360 with a Showcase page at the event, which SEMA created as an alternative after announcing that the in-person SEMA Show would not take place in Las Vegas in 2020.

“The automotive specialty-equipment industry has a history of successfully pivoting to meet market needs and finding innovative solutions to accomplish a goal,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. "Given that the year 2020 has been filled with challenges and uncertainty, the industry is hungry for a platform where they can get together and focus on doing business. SEMA360 is the ideal solution for companies that want to connect and discover what’s new in the market—whether it’s racing and performance, trucks and off-road, hot rod and restoration or collision and tools. Manufacturers from every segment are participating and they have lots of news to share.”

Open exclusively to the industry and not to the general public, SEMA360 is designed to make it easy and efficient for attendees to see new trends and products, meet directly with manufacturers, hear from industry leaders and experts and engage in conversations. The exclusive features in SEMA360 will allow buyers to:

• Connect with more than 650 industry-leading manufacturers.
• Explore more than 2,200 products in the New Products Showcase.
• See more than 300 unique builds in the Builders Showcase.
• Choose from more than 30 education seminars to attend.
• Witness the winner announcements of the Launch Pad and Battle of the Builders competitions.
• Access manufacturer press conferences, celebrity interviews and breaking news.

Additionally, more than 100 companies that have never exhibited at the SEMA Show have signed up to showcase their products at SEMA360, providing new business opportunities for buyers.

Buyers and attendees are encouraged to register now to secure their credentials in time for SEMA360. The fee is $25 for qualified buyers who are not SEMA members, and the fee is waived for buyers who are SEMA members.

“Attending SEMA360 is a great return on investment for buyers who want to stay on top of the latest trends, products, and technology coming into market,” said Gattuso. “It's the only event where they'll be able to interact and engage with hundreds of companies and see thousands of new products from the comfort of their home or office.”

To register for SEMA360 or for more information, visit www.SEMA360.com. To see the list of participating manufacturers, log on to www.sema360.com/manufacturer-list.html.