U.S. trade officials will investigate alleged patent infringement by Chinese makers of intermediate bulk containers.
The U.S. International Trade Commission voted to examine products made by Shandong Jinshan Jieyuan Container Co. Ltd. of Zhengjiang City; Zibo Jielin Plastic Pipe Manufacture Co. Ltd. of Zibo City; Shanghai Sakura Plastic Products Co. Ltd. (dba Shanghai Yinghua Plastic Products Co. Ltd.), Shanghai; and Hebei Shijiheng Plastics, Co. Ltd., Huanghua.
The decision to look into the matter comes after a complaint originally filed Dec. 5 by Schütz Container Systems Inc. of North Branch, N.J., and Protechna SA of Fribourg, Switzerland, and later supplemented Dec. 20.
"The complaint, as supplemented, alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain composite intermediate bulk containers that infringe patents asserted by the complainants. The complainants request that the USITC issue a general exclusion order, or in the alternative a limited exclusion order, and cease and desist orders," the USITC said in announcing the decision to look into the matter.
The case now will be assigned to a USITC administrative law judge who will schedule a hearing. That judge will then make an initial determination that will be reviewed by the commission.
IBCs, typically pallet sized, are designed to hold hundreds of gallons of liquid in large plastic containers housed within outer metal cages to provide support. They are designed to be moved by forklift or pallet jack and allow for bulk liquid storage and transportation.