US–China Trade Daily Hightlights | 2026-08-18
1) Executive Summary
Today’s briefing covers 3 U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) Section 337 matters. The actions include a final determination issuing a general exclusion order and cease and desist orders in an ink cartridges investigation, an amendment of claims and products in an off-road vehicles case involving a Chinese respondent, and a full termination of a video-capable devices case due to an arbitration agreement. Key policy instruments are Section 337 patent enforcement remedies, including a GEO, CDOs, and procedural terminations.
2) Updates by Authority
ITC (U.S. International Trade Commission)
Headline (one line, bold):
Ink Cartridges — ITC_337 (TRADE_REMEDY)
Summary:
The U.S. International Trade Commission found a violation of Section 337 in Inv. No. 337-TA-1452 concerning certain ink cartridges and components. The Commission issued a general exclusion order covering products that infringe claims 1 and 7 of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,764,172; 9,370,934; 11,535,038; 12,240,248; and 12,240,249, and issued cease and desist orders against Mountain Peak, Inc. and Straightouttaink, LP. The investigation is terminated.
Key Details (bullets):
- Authority: INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
- Policy Type: ITC_337
- Event Type: TRADE_REMEDY
- China Indicator: EXPLICIT
- Investigation No.: 337-TA-1452
- Orders/Findings: General Exclusion Order; CDOs against Mountain Peak, Inc. and Straightouttaink, LP; bond set at 100% of entered value during Presidential review
- Noted procedural history: ALJ ID (Order No. 16) granted summary determination; Commission reviewed DI economic prong and affirmed with supplemental analysis
- Dates: Commission vote August 13, 2026; investigation instituted June 17, 2025
- Patents/Claims: Claims 1 and 7 of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,764,172; 9,370,934; 11,535,038; 12,240,248; 12,240,249
Headline (one line, bold):
Off-Road Vehicles (ZFORCE Z10/Z10-4) — ITC_337 (TRADE_REMEDY)
Summary:
The Commission determined not to review an ALJ initial determination (Order No. 10) granting Polaris’s unopposed motion to amend the complaint and Notice of Investigation in Inv. No. 337-TA-1490 and to terminate the investigation as to certain claims. The amendments add claim 31 of the ’486 patent and claims 9–15 and 22 of the ’127 patent against the CFMOTO ZFORCE Z10 and Z10-4 vehicles, and terminate claims 7 and 8 of the ’220 patent.
Key Details (bullets):
- Authority: INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
- Policy Type: ITC_337
- Event Type: TRADE_REMEDY
- China Indicator: EXPLICIT
- Investigation No.: 337-TA-1490
- Parties: Complainants Polaris Inc., Polaris Industries Inc., Polaris Sales Inc.; Respondents Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd. (Hangzhou, China) and CFMOTO Powersports Inc.
- Orders/Findings: ID (Order No. 10) unreviewed; claims 7–8 of U.S. Patent No. 7,819,220 terminated; added claim 31 of U.S. Patent No. 7,950,486 and claims 9–15, 22 of U.S. Patent No. 12,187,127 against ZFORCE Z10/Z10-4
- Dates: Commission vote August 13, 2026; investigation instituted March 9, 2026
Headline (one line, bold):
Video-Capable Electronic Devices — ITC_337 (TRADE_REMEDY)
Summary:
The Commission determined not to review an ALJ initial determination (Order No. 18) granting a joint motion by InterDigital and Amazon to terminate Inv. No. 337-TA-1481 in its entirety due to an arbitration agreement. The investigation is terminated.
Key Details (bullets):
- Authority: INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
- Policy Type: ITC_337
- Event Type: TRADE_REMEDY
- Investigation No.: 337-TA-1481
- Parties: Complainants InterDigital, Inc. and InterDigital VC Holdings, Inc.; Respondents Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon.com Services, LLC
- Orders/Findings: ID (Order No. 18) granted termination based on arbitration agreement; earlier termination of claim 4 of U.S. Patent No. 9,747,674 (Order No. 8; unreviewed May 4, 2026)
- Dates: Commission vote August 13, 2026; investigation instituted January 23, 2026
3) Key Takeaways (Factual)
- The ITC issued a general exclusion order and cease and desist orders in the ink cartridges case (Inv. No. 337-TA-1452), with a 100% bond during Presidential review.
- In the Polaris v. CFMOTO off-road vehicles matter (Inv. No. 337-TA-1490), the ITC allowed claim amendments adding ZFORCE Z10/Z10-4 and terminated two prior claims.
- The InterDigital v. Amazon video-capable devices investigation (Inv. No. 337-TA-1481) was terminated in full based on an arbitration agreement.
- Two of today’s Section 337 actions involve China-based or China-affiliated respondents.
4) Full Source Links (Index)
- https://lawyerfanzhang.com/certain-ink-cartridges-and-components-thereof-ii-notice-of-a-commission-determination-finding-a-violation-under-section-337-issuance-of-a-general-exclusion-order-and-cease-and-desist-orders-termina/ (Ink cartridges — GEO/CDOs)
- https://lawyerfanzhang.com/certain-off-road-vehicles-and-components-thereof-notice-of-a-commission-determination-not-to-review-an-initial-determination-granting-an-unopposed-motion-to-amend-the-complaint-and-notice-of-investig/ (Off-road vehicles — amendment)
- https://lawyerfanzhang.com/certain-video-capable-electronic-devices-notice-of-a-commission-determination-not-to-review-an-initial-determination-granting-a-joint-motion-to-terminate-the-investigation-in-its-entirety-due-to-an-a/ (Video devices — arbitration termination)
5) Legal Disclaimer
This article includes content collected and summarized from publicly available U.S. government materials, including the Federal Register (federalregister.gov). The content presented is not an official government publication and does not represent the views of any U.S. government authority.
This article is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, compliance advice, or recommendations for any specific entity or transaction. Readers should refer to the original official documents and consult qualified professionals before making decisions based on this information.
