imports

In law, are gray market imports equivalent to pirated works? [Read this journal article on the implications for American libraries of imported pirated works from China.] Gray market imports are lawfully produced with the permission of the copyright holder, sold to a customer in a foreign country and then imported into another, often [...]

When it came to shopping for cars, Frank Perry always had a philosophy: “Buy American, and the job you save will be your own.” But on Saturday, Perry and his 21-year-old daughter, Chelsea, were eyeing a light gray, four-door Toyota Corolla at the Prime Toyota lot on Route 1 in Saco. Although the Corolla is almost $3,000 more than a Ford Focus, which gets the same gas mileage on the hig

Kia Motors has ranked second in the amount of vehicles imported into Nigeria in the first quarter of the fiscal year. The report showed that 4,062 units of Kia vehicles were imported into the country, representing a 14.7% share of the Nigerian car market. Toyota has ranked first with 11,130 units imported - an equivalent of a whopping 40.32% market share. Honda and Peugeot ranked third and

CNN superstar and fearless purveyor of truth, Lou Dobbs, recently called for the impeachment of George W. Bush owing to Dubya's myopic vision in the salmonella scandal that has sickened nearly 1,000 Americans. In this exceptional display of intelligence, courage, and wisdom on the otherwise liberal contaminated CNN, Dobbs' said, ...

Following on from the news that a new firmware update issued by Nintendo for its Wii console renders Datel's Freeloader boot disc useless, the company has now removed the product from its website. Last week, it was revealed that the optional Wii firmware update was a part of Nintendo's clampdown on gamers from Europe who currently buy cheaper games from the US and Japan. Of course, Ninty wants

This has been a busy week already, and it's only Tuesday! But I wanted to share some incredible news, maybe not relevant to me per se as I rep only French wines, but very important to those who love Italian wines: in the wake of a wine-faking scandal in Italy that saw Brunello di Montalcino-labelled bottles being filled with everything from cheap Italian to cheaper Algerian to cheapest who-knows-

South Korean unions on Tuesday threatened a general strike in protest of a US beef import deal, as negotiators in Washington tried to find a way out of the crisis shaking the Seoul government. The conservative administration of President Lee Myung-Bak is desperate to revise its agreement to resume the imports after tens of thousands of [...]

During the first five months of the year, Viet Nam's steel manufacturers imported 1.778 million tonnes of steel billets, up 23.6% on the same period of 2007, reported General Statistics Office (GSO). Reportedly, the output of steel billets being imported from China continued increasing strongly to 100,000 tonnes of construction steel within May, bringing the total amount of steel billet import

KARACHI: Due to low demand and an upward trend of prices in the international market, the import of palm oil has decreased during last 2 months.Palm oil importers told Geo News that during last couple of months, there has been 25 percent reduction in import of palm oil from International market and now it [...]

1. The Clearing agent ask for amount, the person who receive the product will give Letter of Authority to Clearing Agent. The clearing agent move to bank and take check. For this purpose, we just issue LA. 2. Prepare Purchase for the Vendor from whom we are going to receive the product. There may be 2 or more Vendors. 1. Product cost to be transferred to Vendor A2. Freight or Other Charges to Ven

The State Bank of Viet Nam pledges to ensure sufficient supplies of foreign currency for imports of necessities, the bank announced on its website today. The bank is currently managing the exchange rates in a flexible manner depending on market supplies and demands within the margin of + 2% instructed by the Prime Minister. The fluctuations of the exchange rate on the black market over the

Authorities are taking action to free HCM City ports of delays due to pile ups of imported goods. The municipal People’s Committee instructed the HCM City Customs Department to increase working hours on Sundays and to find storage space for stockpiled imports and empty containers. "More port facilities should be built to clear unused containers and import-export containers as well as enlar

Viet Nam wants to cut imports of consumer products to narrow the country's trade deficit, Thanh Nien reported, citing the country's lawmakers. Viet Nam's National Assembly passed a resolution saying export companies will be supported to help boost shipments, according to the report. Viet Nam's trade gap widened to $14.42 billion in the first five months this year from $4.25 billion at the same

Ports in HCM City these days are full of piled up containers of imports. Businesses are importing commodities in big quantities but not getting them cleared. ‘Mountains of containers’ On May 27 in the morning, Hoang Phu Cuu, a customs officer, led local newspaper reporters around Vict Port in HCM City. Most of the commodity containing areas did not have any room left. Containers were lying i

A lot of used car dealers complain that the new tax policy on used imports has made their business unprofitable and forced them to seek other jobs. Nguyen Thi Vinh, Director of Hai Phong-based Vinh Hoang Company, said that importers now cannot sell products as the prices have become higher due to the higher tax and higher set taxable prices, which has made them incur losses. Vinh said that

Opinions vary about the recent move by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to raise the gold import tax rate from 0.5% to 1%. Explaining its move, MOF said that it aims to reduce gold imports in order to help reduce the trade deficit, which has been alarmingly high so far this year. However, Thai Doan Tuu, Deputy Director of the Trade and Service Department under the Ministry of Planning and

Italian authorities last month seized hundreds of thousands of bottles of 2003 Brunello di Montalcino because of the suspected use by winemakers of grapes other than the Sangiovese, the only ingredient allowed in the premium Tuscan wine. The allegations were first made in a news magazine report and the Agriculture Ministry has confirmed that hundreds of thousands of bottles of the wine have been s

Cars were imported on a massive scale in March and April in anticipation of the tax increase, which has caused the oversupply of imported cars. The director of a big car import company in HCM City said that his company imported several hundred cars in the last two months in order to avoid the tax increases. He has to hire extra premises to store his inventory, the largest his company has ever

That is some serious shiz-nit! I am almost speechless but not quite. We are 25% of Brunello exports and the only way we will let the stuff in according this article is if it is lab tested and the results are 100% Sangiovese. Finally a good decision by our government. I have ranted in the past about how Brunello is overrated and spoofilated for the most part less producers like Biondi-Santi (too tr

The Vietnamese dong (VND) fell to a seven-month low against the U.S. dollar on Monday due to increased demand for the foreign currency from importers because of a widening trade deficit, bankers said. The dollar hit 16,125 dong on Monday, the highest since October 4, 2007 when it stood at 16,126 dong. The central... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other conten

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) is considering adjusting the import taxes of commodities that are believed to have impacts on the trade deficit and foreign currency payment balance. MOF is joining forces with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the State Bank of Viet Nam to take a series of measures in an effort to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other con

The US dollar has continued to stren-gthen against the dong. An increase in demand for imports is blamed for the rise. Vietcombank’s listed USD/VND exchange rate was 16,130/16,147, the highest for the year on Wednesday with the interbank rate at VND15,987. It meant a selling price in the upper range of the +/-1 per cent trading band. Bank rates listed yesterday were up about 0.76% against early

Last night, I was reading a tabloid newspaper. On a sports showbiz article, the writer had talked about the PBA players.On local players, he talked about the players getting married, player meets father, and other non-sports stuff. And for the PBA imports, he talked about who among the imports are good at basketball, and who among them should be sent home because of their not-so-good performance.I was like... What the...Is this how PBA works? Should PBA teams really have or should I say "hire" players from other countries just to make their team win?I'm not a PBA fan nor of the NBA. Actually, I don't watch basketball games. But it just seems like the performance of every teams' imports is the key of winning the game. Isn't?

The United States said Tuesday it found "insufficient evidence" to launch an anti-dumping investigation into Viet Nam for its apparel exports. The US Commerce Department said it made the decision after reviewing 12 months of data from a monitoring program of apparel imports from Viet Nam begun upon Viet Nam's entry into the World Trade Organization in January 2007. "There is insufficient

The Viet Nam Timber and Forestry Products Association on Friday denied a report by two non-government environmental organisations that Viet Nam was using timber illegally imported from Laos. The report, which was released in March and conducted by the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) in conjunction with Telapak of Indonesia, says at least 500,000 cu.m of logs are illegally

Imports Statement (.NET Namespace and Type) – Use of aliases Use of aliases can save your precious time. Imports Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel Public Class Form1 Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click Dim oXL As Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application oXL = New Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.Application can be changed to Imports Excel = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel Public Class Form1 Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click Dim oXL As Excel.Application oXL = New Excel.Application Saves a lot of typing and more concise. Import aliases are us

With their wide selection of used cars, trucks and vans to choose from, getting your next used car is a hassle-free experience. In addition, you don’t have to stress once you drive off the lot with Conklin’s: • Buy Back Guarantee (up to 3 days after purchase) • 60-Day Warranty • 3 Year Courtesy Car • Cars priced at [...]

Viet Nam, in an effort to discourage more motor vehicle purchases because of poor roads and traffic congestion, hiked tariffs on imported cars for the second time in less than a month, dealers said. Tariffs on car imports rose to 83 percent from 60% in a move that one Hanoi-based car importer said "would make imported cars at least 10% more expensive than now and that would reduce demand

The PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemical Co. (PVFCCo), the country’s leading fertilizer producer, has signed contracts to import 106,000 tonnes of fertilizers in an effort to cut the price hike. PVFCCo forecast that the country will need about 660,000 tonnes of fertilizer by the end of the second quarter of the year,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

MANILA/JAKARTA (Reuters) - The Philippines will accelerate rice imports, it said on Tuesday, while Indonesia imposed controls over exports as Asian nations battle inflation and food security concerns caused by soaring global prices. In Manila, the world’s top importer, the state grain buyer said it would seek another half a million tonnes to stock up ahead [...]

In the first quarter of the year, the country imported commodities worth 20.39 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 62.5%. Domestic companies’ imports increased by 75% while foreign-invested businesses saw a 39.2% jump. The Ministry of Industry and Trade attributed the increases to price hikes in the world market and demands for consumer goods, materials and machines in the domestic market.

Vietnamese businesses have imported nearly 40 tonnes of gold so far this year, more than half of the yearly quota of 70 tonnes, reported the Viet Nam Gold Business Association. The Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC) alone imported 15 tonnes. In the year’s first quarter, it has produced 800,000 taels pure gold bearing the SJC trademark, equivalent to 30 tonnes. The new gold bonded warehouse in Ho Chi

It's good to be green. Get a piece of the exotic with this fab bag from Madagascar. The soft raffia and cotton blend bag, a renewable resource, are combined to craft these cute Eco-friendly handbags. The hand embroidered silhouette of the Baobab tree, native to Madagascar, is hand made by paid artisans in Madagascar. Available in Apple, Sunflower, Natural and Apple. $79. Available at Mad Imports.

1. The Clearing agent ask for amount, the person who receive the product will give Letter of Authority to Clearing Agent. The clearing agent move to bank and take check. For this purpose, we just issue LA. 2. Prepare Purchase for the Vendor from whom we are going to receive the product. There may be 2 or more Vendors. 1. Product cost to be transferred to Vendor A2. Freight or Other Charges to Vendor B3. Customs Duty and Others to Vendor C Tcode : Me21n 3. First We have to pay Customs Duty to Commissioner of Customs after LA issued. Entry : Customs Clearing a/c Dr Cess on Custom a/c Dr CVD Clearing a/c Dr Cess on CVD a/c Dr Special CVD a/c Dr Vendor C a/c Cr. T-code :MIRO or YMIROOTH 4. Cenvat credit

Do you want to build creative house, or do you need to maintain creative garden??. You can success your dream in one place. They can give creative thing for you.Marble Unique, they are the best person in this field. So if you need any stone and marble fountains, statues, fireplaces, and more... they can supply that your time. They are the leading direct importer of high quality marble.They have more products, such as marble columns ,natural stone fireplaces, water fountains,beautiful marble statues, mantles, and various shaped stone sculptures and more things.They give shipping facility , and they can diver your order with in 1 week to 16 week,also give the warranty for their products.

India's gold imports in February crashed to 10 tonnes from 59 tonnes in the same month a year ago due to soaring international prices and could fall further this month, a top industry official said on Tuesday."There is barely any demand. In February, the gold imports were just 10 tonnes against 59 tonnes last year," Suresh Hundia, president of the Bombay Bullion Association, told Reuters."We think the demand will be even less in March because of the record prices."International spot gold prices were still above $1,000 an ounce, though most other commodities were tumbling as investors sold assets ranging from oil to coffee to grains to cover deepening losses in stocks and bonds.Global gold prices have risen more than 20 percent this year alone, hitting successive record highs along the way.

The Pier 1 Rewards Credit Card offers a 20% Discount Off Your First Pier 1 Purchase and a 4% Cash Rewards Rebate on all of your Pier 1 Imports purchases. Just sign up for the Free Pier 1 Rewards Card, and you’ll get a coupon for 20% off your first Pier 1 Imports purchase with your new shopping rewards credit card. Everytime you use your Pier 1 Rewards MasterCard, you’ll earn 4 points for every $1 you spend at Pier 1 Imports and 1 point for every $1 you spend everywhere else, and for every 2,000 points you earn, you’ll get a $20 Pier 1 Rewards Certificate. That’s the equivalent of a 4% rebate on all of your purchases at Pier 1 Imports and a 1% rebate everywhere else. The Pier 1 card offers a 0% introductory APR for the first 6 billing cycles on purchases, so you can finance your Pier 1 Imports purchases with no interest for six months. The Pier 1 Rewards card offers a 0% introductory rate on balance transfers for 6 months as well, but there is a balance transfer

African Red Tea Imports (ART) is pleased to announce the addition of two major new products to their outstanding line of Rooibos based organic and kosher products. Sutherlandia Frutescens, known in South Africa as Cancer Bush, and Sceletium Tortuosum, a plant with recorded usage dating back to the 1600s, are now available through the Los Angeles based importer. Sutherlandia Frutescens has long been regarded as the most profound and multi-purpose medicinal plant in South Africa and is proven to powerfully assist the body-mind-energy system. Used as a treatment for cancer, Sutherlandia has also been highly effective in treating HIV as well as wasting from AIDS and TB. Sceletium Tortuosum, a rare plant successfully cultivated on a limited basis, is being used by medical professionals with excellent results to relieve anxiety and depression in patients with little or no adverse side effects. Sceletium also helps relieve symptoms from menopause and works as a support mechanism for smoking c

What seems attractive at first glance often hides a very different story underneath:So it is when it comes to grey imports. Buying goods cheaply doesn’t always mean you are getting a great value. There are hidden pitfalls many consumers are unaware of. Sigma EX products sourced from foreign markets will not include the valuable additional Sigma Corporation of America Extended Service Protection , offering an extra 3 years of free service to provide unrivalled 4 years’ peace of mind.IIt is widely accepted practice that unauthorized Sigma USA dealers, not to sell the complete package that you would expect. Lens caps, lens hoods, back caps, even instruction booklets are removed and sold as optional extras.While legitimate goods have been handled responsibly by importers, wholesalers and retailers , gray importers have often changed hands many times. Often they have been removed from their protective packaging and stored in damp, humid conditions, encouraging the growth of fung

Just about half a decade ago, imported cars were reserved for the wealthy with only a few importers in business in those days. Nowadays, the society has completely revolutionized in South Korea with import cars coming and selling at the masses. For 2008, foreign automakers are preparing for new model launches and also a couple of brand introductions as well. Mitsubishi and Nissan are stepping on

The recall of a Hong Kong-made Bindeez product this week has prompted calls for a mandatory liability insurance on all imported goods. Thousands of stores across New Zealand, Australia and North America removed the small beads from their shelves after scientists discovered they contained a chemical that, if swallowed, transformed into the illegal party drug, fantasy. The New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association says the insurance would ensure all imported goods complied with New Zealand safety standards and would provide local companies with a level playing field when competing with cheaper, and possibly lower quality imports. via

The recall of a Hong Kong-made Bindeez product this week has prompted calls for a mandatory liability insurance on all imported goods. Thousands of stores across New Zealand, Australia and North America removed the small beads from their shelves after scientists discovered they contained a chemical that, if swallowed, transformed into the illegal party drug, fantasy. The New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association says the insurance would ensure all imported goods complied with New Zealand safety standards and would provide local companies with a level playing field when competing with cheaper, and possibly lower quality imports. via

The last decade has seen foreign imports continue to gain substantial market share putting an increasing pressure on the domestic car manufacturers. It’s certainly made the domestic car industry rethink their strategy.In recent years we’ve seen Chrysler, GM, and Ford all offering deep discounts on their cars because the Japanese imports have taken over such a large share of the market. Priced competitively often with longer warranties, and excellent track records, consumers are much more likely to consider foreign imports.This loss of market share has also forced the North American manufacturers to close plants and layoff massive numbers of workers. Even their deeply discounted prices and zero percent financing hasn’t been able to accomplish regaining of the lost market share. This year we even see Ford and GM offering the same pricing the offer to their employees. What all three of the North American manufacturers don’t seem to have tuned into is that rising fuel prices they c

Browsing though my favourite home store, Pier 1 Imports, I found this beautiful 3 x 4” pillar candle dedicated to breast cancer awareness. Scented with a mild yet exotic floral Blossom fragrance, this exclusive candle comes in a frosted glass holder with a flocked flower design. A pink ribbon lapel pin that is attached to the hangtag.Pier 1 Imports will donate 25 per cent of the purchase price of each candle the Susan G. Komen Foundation in the fight to end breast cancer. The funds will support innovative breast cancer research and outreach programs. Pier 1 has assured a minimum donation of $250,000 to Komen in 2007 from the sale of specially marked products.

Iran's acting oil minister, Gholam-Hossein Nozari, has issued the permit for importing gasoline temporarily, a senior official said Monday. The National Iranian Oil Products Refining and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Iran's acting oil minister, Gholam-Hossein Nozari, has issued the permit for importing gasoline temporarily, a senior official said Monday. The National Iranian Oil Products Refining and Distribution Co (NIOPRDC) managing director, Mohammad-Reza Nematzadeh, added that Nozari, the Oil Ministry's caretaker and National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) managing director, gave the go-ahead as the 2.5 billion dollar budget ran out. The NIOPRDC chief was quoted by PIN as saying that the NIOC would provide the currency needed for imports of the commodity. Based on the permit, he added, 14 to 15 million liters of gasoline would be imported per day. Iran began rationing gasoline from June 22 and the Oil Ministry has allocated each private car 100 liters per month at about 10 cents per liter for regular and 15 cents for premium gasoline. Under the plan, gasoline is only supplied through smart card, an initiative taken by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to stop lavish fuel consumption by over seven mill

The last decade has seen foreign imports continue to gain substantial market share putting an increasing pressure on the domestic car manufacturers. It’s certainly made the domestic car industry rethink their strategy.In recent years we’ve seen Chrysler, GM, and Ford all offering deep discounts on their cars because the Japanese imports have taken over such a large share of the market. Priced competitively often with longer warranties, and excellent track records, consumers are much more likely to consider foreign imports.This loss of market share has also forced the North American manufacturers to close plants and layoff massive numbers of workers. Even their deeply discounted prices and zero percent financing hasn’t been able to accomplish regaining of the lost market share. This year we even see Ford and GM offering the same pricing the offer to their employees. What all three of the North American manufacturers don’t seem to have tuned into is that rising fuel prices they c

This little gem of a store is hidden upstairs in the Hari Krishna Temple (yes, I said Temple) off of Venice in Mar Vista. If you happen to be in the market for a great tunic, sari, pashmina, stacks and stacks of bangle bracelets or that hard to find Krishna prayer candle and incense burner - cheap - this is the one-stop-shop for you. The smell of incense burning will herald you upstairs where they sell clothing and accessories, mostly imported from India, for men, women and children. The quality of the embroidery and the variety of sizes and colors is amazing.This store really is a find. The jewelry alone makes it worth the trip. All proceeds benefit the Temple. Expect to rub elbows with an interesting mix of devout Hari Krishnas, celebrities, stylists, hipsters and yoga Mommy's.Tip: Grab some yummy Indian veggie hippy grub at Govinda's, the cafeteria downstairs attached to the Temple. Good stuff even for a flesh loving carnivore, like myself. There's a buffet and a salad bar, and y

I ran across this company a couple of years ago but some how I lost track of them. Jess Imports has a humongous selection of jewelry clasps. Thousands of them! And, if you aren't sure about the quality from looking just at the website I can assure you they are top notch. I perused their booth at a recent gem show and there were so many nice ones I was completely overwhelmed.Here are a couple of my favorites but be sure to give yourself enough time because they have sari, enamel, gemstone, button, vintage, new, designer...you name it.

Katz Imports, one of the worlds best diamond wholesalers, has been in business selling fine quality diamonds for over 28 years. They pride themselves on their excellent craftsmanship, their reputation and their dedication to customer service. Katz Imports offers jewelry and diamond items of every type. Available at Katz Imports are such items as diamond engagement rings, wedding bands, tennis bracelets, stud earrings, eternity bands, loose diamonds, and other various diamond items. If you already have a diamond, you can visit Katz Imports for diamond certification. Katz Imports offers E.G.L. (Gemological Institute of America) and E.G.L. (The European Gemological Laboratory) certifications so that you as a diamond owner can have a full report and assessment of the true quality of your diamond, which is often more accurate than a diamond appraisal. Best of all, Katz Imports, as a wholesaler, offers their diamonds for a wholesale price. Diamonds last forever and women love to receiv

The domestic crude oil imports requirement may go up to about 85 per cent by 2012 from current level of 70 per cent even though refining capacity in India is poised to increase by 58 per cent to touch 235 million tonnes (MT) in next five years from present level of about 159 MT, an industry body said.This is in view of the growing demand of energy with little resources at India's disposal for harnessing its alternate sources, it added.Assocham in a paper on "Future Imperatives of crude oil scenario" has said the country's dependence on crude oil will increase as domestic discoveries have not been taking place, while energy demand in future will multiply and rise to the level of 12-13 per cent compared to 7-8 per cent now."It is true that refining capacities will also register a manifold increase but for that we need a crude oil which is a scarce commodity now and will continue to be so in future too," said Assocham President Venugopal N Dhoot.The paper also said the artificial ceilin

 BEIJING, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) — China’s top quality control agency on Friday banned imports of aquatic products from Indonesia, claiming many were found containing toxic substances and disease causing pathogens.    Quarantine officials had found Indonesian aquatic products tainted with mercury, chromium, the antibacterial drug nitrofural, and pathogens, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) said.     The agency stated in a circular the tainted aquatic products have been returned or destroyed.     In the first six months, Chinese officials seized 121 batches of Indonesian foods ranging from aquatic products, palm oil, canned food to biscuits that contain excessive drug residues and food additives and harmful organisms, according to the AQSIO.     It cited examples, saying quarantine officials in the southern province of Guangdong had detected salmonella in frozen sea eels and listeria monocytogenes in frozen fish o

This really disturbs me right down to the root of my being.. All the reports in the news about Chinese Food Imports being Tainted. Or worse, Poisoned and NOT for human consumption.   What disturb...

About 45% of notifications to the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed in 2006 concerned products from third countries which were blocked at the border by EU control authorities when the risks were identified. EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou today visited the border inspection post of Antwerp to highlight the importance of food safety controls and the EU's rapid alert system to ensure food safety. Commissioner Kyprianou presented the 2006 annual report on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) which shows that notifications on risks to food safety fell by 5% in 2006 compared to 2005. This is the first time since the establishment of this food safety tool that there has been a decrease in the number of notifications. The drop can be explained largely by effective measures taken to address illegal dyes and the application of new European criteria for certain pathogenic microbes, replacing the diverse national criteria that were in place until then. In total, 6840

Azerenergy and RAO EES (Unified Energy Systems) are not negotiating on import of Russian electricity.Marlen Asgarov, the Vice-President of Azerenergy, Azerbaijan's State Electricity Company, told APA that Azerbaijan refused to buy Russian electrical energy as RAO EES offered unfavorable prices."If the Russian company insists on its position, Azerbaijan will not purchase electricity," he

Sony has said it will use the “full scope of the law” to block the importing of PlayStation 3s (PS3) into Europe before its official release. The much-anticipated games console goes on sale in the US and Japan next month but is not out in Europe until 2007. Last week a British judge ruled that [...]

Sony has said it will use the "full scope of the law" to block the importing of PlayStation 3s (PS3) into Europe before its official release. The much-anticipated games console goes on sale in the US and Japan next month but is not out in Europe until 2007. Last week a British judge ruled that [...]

FXstreet.com reports that Japan imported 3.8% less vehicles in July vs. July of last year. While the slump is hardly unsurprising given the general downturn in the Japanese automotive market, examining the actual numbers is a bit of an eye-opener. We're talking about a total of just 16,968 units (down from last July's 17,636), the majority of them high end luxury cars. Saying that, VW led the pack, selling 3996 vehicles in Japan (down 13.3%). Mass marketeer FoMoCo found 444 for its cars (down 19.1%). Renault brought up the rear with 306 vehicles (up 2.7%). Contrast that stat with the country's automotive exports. In June, Japan's domestic automakers sent 202,523 vehicles stateside. 

J.D. Power and Associates has just released their 2007 Escaped Shopper Study (an APB has been issued). After surveying 31,355 new-vehicle buyers between May and July 2007, J.D.'s mob says that 80 percent of US new car buyers won't cross-shop an import (if they're domestically inclined) or a domestic (if they're a import inclined). That's bad news for The Big 2.8. But it gets worse. The 20 percent of buyers up for grabs "frequently decide against import brands for financial reasons, most often citing that the import didn't offer aggressive rebates or other incentives." In other words, Detroit's fire sales have caught up with them but good; they're high cost producers appealing to a price-focused audience. At the same time, the study says import buyers who reject a domestic model cite "perceived vehicle attribute deficiencies:" concerns for reliability, gas mileage or poor resale value. J.D.'s automotive retail research manager conne