Lightweight Thermal Paper From Germany: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2010-2011

A Notice by the International Trade Administration on 04/18/2013
On December 11, 2012, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on lightweight thermal paper from Germany.1 The period of review (POR) is November 1, 2010, through October 31, 2011. We invited interested parties to comment on the preliminary results. After reviewing the comments received, we made no changes to the dumping margin assigned to Papierfabrik August Koehler AG (Koehler). Therefore, the final results do not differ from the preliminary results. The final dumping margin for Koehler is listed below in the section entitled “Final Results of Review.”...
We made no changes to our preliminary results. Therefore, we are assigning the following dumping margin to Koehler for the period November 1, 2010, through October 31, 2011....

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective for all shipments of lightweight thermal paper from Germany entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the final results of this administrative review, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) The cash deposit rate for Koehler will be the rate established in the final results of this administrative review; (2) for previously reviewed or investigated companies not participating in this review, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a previous review, or the original less-than-fair-value investigation, but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent period for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other manufacturers or exporters will continue to be 6.50 percent, the all-others rate established in the investigation. [4] These deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

This notice also serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Secretary's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping dutie...
This notice serves as the only reminder to parties subject to administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely written notification of return/destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation...( see wholehttps://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/04/18/2013-09049/lightweight-thermal-paper-from-germany-final-results-of-antidumping-duty-administrative-review)

To order Thermal Paper Rolls from Paper-Net, Inc go to papernetusa.com

Why Tesla Survived and Fisker Won’t

Fisker Automotive and Tesla Motors, two startups founded to make battery-powered cars, are both in the news, but for very different reasons. Tesla Motors recently announced that it is selling cars faster than it expected, which the automaker says will make the first quarter of 2013 its first profitable quarter ever. Fisker Automotive, in contrast, has furloughed workers to cut costs and is reportedly close to bankruptcy.
The different fortunes of the two companies can be traced to a number of factors, and indeed, Tesla itself has come close to failing and has been forced to scramble for funds. But one strategic decision stands out. Tesla has developed its own core technology—the batteries, the electric motor, and the systems for controlling them. Fisker focused more on the look of the automobile, relying instead on technology developed by its suppliers.
“Fisker tried to be innovative with the design. Fisker seemed to think if you designed a beautiful car, people would buy it,” says Brett Smith, codirector for manufacturing, engineering, and technology at the Center for Automotive Research. “The Tesla vehicles are good looking, but Tesla focused more on the technology, not the sheet metal.”
Tesla’s in-house technology development has given it both a cost and a performance advantage, not only over what Fisker can offer, but indeed over what any other automakers can offer. A key example is Tesla’s battery technology. “Tesla’s lithium-ion battery pack technology is five to 10 years ahead of competitors when it comes to a passenger electric vehicle application, as measured by performance and cost to manufacture,” says Andrea James, an analyst for Dougherty. “Tesla’s battery lead allows it to produce a better vehicle at more affordable price.”
When Tesla was founded, it was based on an idea from J.B. Straubel, now Tesla’s chief technology officer, that commodity lithium-ion batteries designed for portable electronics could be used to make relatively low-cost battery packs for electric vehicles. Thousands of the small, cylindrical cells could be wired together to provide enough energy and power to propel a vehicle for hundreds of miles. To make this work, and to ensure the battery pack would be safe, Straubel had to develop a proprietary system for monitoring and cooling the batteries
Fisker, along with other automakers who have introduced battery-powered vehicles, including Nissan and GM, took a very different approach. It bought batteries from A123 Systems, the failed battery startup, that were custom-designed for use in automobiles and made in much smaller volumes. The advantage of these batteries was supposed to be twofold: the batteries were designed to be safer and, because they were bigger and flat rather than cylindrical, they were simpler to package together into a battery pack. A few hundred, rather than thousands, of separate cells would be needed.
But these purpose-built packs are far more expensive—at least for now. Last year, James estimated that batteries from now-bankrupt A123 Systems cost between $1,000 and $1,500 per kilowatt-hour. Tesla’s packs, she said, cost between $320 and $420 per kilowatt-hour. And A123’s batteries proved problematic. One failed during a Consumer Reports test of the Fisker Karma—the car had to be hauled off and the battery replaced. A123 later had to recall its batteries because of a manufacturing problem.
Tesla not only benefits from lower costs for its own cars, it’s also been able to sell its technology to other automakers, providing a boost of revenue that helped it survive in the time between producing its first car, the Roadster, and the current Model S.
Fisker’s focus on design wasn’t necessarily a nonstarter. But by many accounts, that design, while outwardly attractive, didn’t deliver. Many reviewers said it is unexpectedly sluggish. Unlike the Tesla Model S, which runs only on batteries, the Fisker Karma has both batteries and a gas engine for powering long trips. Combining the two components added weight and took up space. The Model S seats five adults and has space for two kids in a third row of seats in the back. The Karma, while outwardly similar in size, is cramped—it’s difficult to fit in four adults. By Kevin Bullis (technologyreview.com)

Paper-Net, Inc. has many GREEN products including Thermal BPA-FREE Recycled Paper Rolls, Compatible Toners, Bond Paper Rolls.

Kohler leaves USA Thermal Paper market

Kohler is pulling out of US market at the end of February 2013. They supply more than 40% of the thermal paper usage in the US.
The remaining 2 mills in USA, Appleton & Kanzaki, are scrambling to fill the gap. Many foreign mills left US market in 2009 due to Department of Commerce 70% Thermal paper tariff implementation.

Kohler’s departure has resulted in unstable Thermal paper market and the as a result remaining Mills have already announced major increases of up to 10% depending on the grade. This increase comes on top of several recent developments in the paper market including an increase implemented in late 2012, changes to certain mill policies that impact cost and the additional costs associated with the conversion of some grades from Koehler to other suppliers.

We must therefore adjust prices appropriately effective with all orders received on or after February 25, 2013. Commodity 48 and 55 gram BPA and BPA Free products will increase approximately 8%. Other grades will increase approximately 4%. However, this letter is your official notification of the effective date of change.

We recognize that the fallout from Koehler’s withdrawal from the US market has put everyone in a very difficult situation. Although a significant price increase was inevitable we can assure you that Paper-Net, due to its long term strong mill & Converters relationships and financial strength, is one of only a handful of suppliers that can supply all of its customers POS products without fail.

We value your continued business and support and look forward to helping you work through and prosper during this transitional period.

Dear Mr. President: Time to Deal with Climate Change

..Altering the course of climate change is a task that will take decades. It will require innovative new technologies and overhauls of the world’s energy, agricultural, and transportation infrastructure. We don’t suggest that you can reverse the warming trend over the next four years, or even that you will be able to significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions. But with the help of the world’s best economic, technical, and scientific minds, you can formulate a policy that will show the nation—and the world—how we can begin to make the changes necessary to ensure that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere stabilizes at a safe level. Indeed, it is critical that you do so..
Four years ago, you made a remarkable start. The $90 billion in your 2009 stimulus bill for energy projects and research breathed new life into the search for cleaner sources of energy. The appointment of prominent researchers such as Steven Chu, your secretary of energy, and John Holdren, your senior advisor on science and technology, sent a signal that your administration was committed to making decisions based on facts and science. Most important, you made it clear that the government would play a vital role in encouraging the innovation needed to develop these new energy sources.

Renewable energy sources, like solar and advanced biofuels, are simply not yet ready to compete with fossil fuels. Solar power, for example, still generates less than 1 percent of our nation’s electricity and, under most circumstances, remains much more expensive than electricity generated from fossil fuels. We need new and far more advanced technologies. Creating cleaner ways to produce energy will require inventions in physics and chemistry labs and innovations in how we scale up and test those inventions. And it will require market incentives, such as a tax or some other price on carbon dioxide emissions, to encourage consumers and industry to use clean energy. Your administration can play a critical role in each of these areas, from increasing funding for energy R&D to helping establish facilities where companies can share the costs and risks of testing new technologies. Perhaps most important, you will need to rally the nation around the issue of tackling climate change. Only with broad public support can you hope to push a recalcitrant Congress into passing legislation that will establish some form of carbon pricing.
Slowing down global warming won’t be cheap. You have often stressed the economic benefits of choosing new energy technologies. You make a valid argument that moving away from fossil fuels will have positive implications for many businesses. And certainly new technologies will provide jobs and other economic opportunities. But we can no longer pretend that addressing climate change will be without real costs. Economic studies show that it is likely to cost trillions of dollars worldwide, though those analyses also present evidence that the price will grow higher the longer we wait.
Adding to our difficulties is the recent boom in our country’s production of fossil fuels, including natural gas and related deposits of shale oil. Already, the glut of cheap natural gas created by advanced drilling technologies and by the nation’s vast supply of shale gas has made it difficult for renewable energy to compete on price. The inexpensive energy made available by these drilling activities is good news for the overall economy, but it is also a stark reminder that the motive for adopting nonfossil fuels is not market-driven but is—and always has been—a simple one: we must do it to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and begin stabilizing our climate.
It’s time to acknowledge that green jobs were always just political cover for that motive. You must say unambiguously that the real reason to transform our energy system is to avoid the most catastrophic effects of global warming.
This is a deeply unpalatable political message. It means immediate spending and economic sacrifice by present-day voters in order to achieve benefits that will be realized decades from now. And it must be done while millions of Americans are still skeptical that global warming is taking place or that it is caused by human activity. But as extensive and exacting analyses over the last decade have shown, we can no longer wait without risking dramatic upheavals in global security and the health and welfare of hundreds of millions of the world’s inhabitants.
The International Energy Agency reports that global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel combustion reached a record 31.6 metric gigatons in 2011. To have a decent chance of limiting the average global temperature increase to 2 °C and avoiding the most devastating effects of climate change, we will need carbon emissions to peak at no more than 32.6 metric gigatons, and to start falling no later than 2017. The president who takes office that year will thus be facing a far more urgent problem—probably, like you, with no political consensus on how to solve it. But as a president in his final term, you have a chance to take risks. You have the power and the opportunity to lay the groundwork for a new clean-energy policy that will help us avoid the worst consequences of climate change. It is quite possible that if this is not done over the next four years, it will be too late. (www.technologyreview.com)

To place your order with Paper-Net go to papernetusa.com

The 13 Worst Businesses to Start in 2013

Worst Businesses for 2013
1. A distribution business. Since most products are a commodity and almost anything can be purchased directly from the manufacturer, distributors are a dying breed. The middleman is on his way out. Try instead: Start a business that adds value and is hard to duplicate. Change the form of the product or add services that make the product more usable for the intended customer.
2. A “deal a day” website. The industry is in a downturn, and merchants no longer want to give up their margin in an effort to find a new customer. Try instead: Running a contest or flash sale on Twitter or Facebook. Offering discounts and coupons is still an effective way to attract new customers.
3. A frozen yogurt shop. The market is saturated, and there already seems to be one on every urban corner. Try instead: Open up a small shop, or even try a food truck, and sell creative food items like meatloaf cupcakes or gourmet donuts.
4. A restaurant. There are so many codes and permits to be obtained, it can be overwhelming, time-consuming and expensive. And of course, there’s the high employee turnover and abundance of competition. Try instead: The advice from above rings true here too, as far as opening a small shop or food truck and specializing in more creative foods.
5. A retail bookstore. More eBooks were sold than paper copies in 2012 and, of course, there is the online retail giant, Amazon. (Borders learned this lesson the hard way.) Try instead: Capitalize on the eBook market, and sell specialty eBooks online to a specific niche—one where you have a high degree of knowledge.
6. An Internet café. Many retail establishments give WiFi for free, and most people have an Internet-enabled device. Try instead: Open up a fix-it shop for smartphones and home computers—a service that is currently in high demand.
7. A video rental store. In September 2012, 39 billion videos were watched online. In addition, Redbox, with its $1 video rentals, has taken over the DVD rental market, and big-box retailers all sell movies and games. Try instead: Set up a YouTube channel to be part of the promotion for your small business—just don’t let that small business be a video rental store.
8. A pay phone booth company. There are more cell phones in this world than toilets. Enough said. Try instead: You can open up an online shop selling cell phone cases and accessories. Although there’s already a lot of competition, the sheer number of devices out there is encouraging.
9. A Hallmark card store (or gift shop). More and more people are shopping online for gifts, thanks to limitless inventory and promotional, inexpensive shipping offers. People are mailing less physical cards every year. Try instead: Open a gift shop near a hospital that will see a lot of foot traffic.
10. A retail clothing or shoe store. Again, more of this is being done online or sold at big box retailers at discounted prices. Try instead: A store that includes regularly priced items along with some high-end brand name products. Capitalize on the fact that high-end retail is booming, and use the brand names in your advertising to bring in customers.
11. A travel agency. Most of this business is being done on sites such as Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airlines and hotels. Try instead: Specialize in packaged, high-end trips to other countries.
12. A limo company. With taxis now facing competition from Uber, this area is suddenly very competitive. Try instead: Car sharing services are increasingly popular, but this business is difficult to start up with limited capital.
13. An alcohol distributor. This is typically highly controlled by state government. It usually takes a bit of political capital to get licensed for this type of business. Try instead: Craft breweries are booming, and licenses are easy to get.

Best Bets for 2013
Child care. Most families need to have both parents working and they need help.
Home healthcare. The population is aging and living longer. Many people want to live in their homes with assistance.
Home tutoring. Colleges are becoming more competitive and parents are paying a lot of money to help their kids compete. By Barry Moltz (openforum.com)

To place your order go to papernetusa.com

5 Essential Rules of Year-End Tax Planning

With just weeks left until 2013, tax planning is probably the last thing on your mind. You need to move inventory, juggle employee schedules, watch your cash flow and, if you’re lucky, sleep enough to have the energy to do it all.
My plea to you: Take a few hours to seriously think about your taxes before Dec. 31. It’s vitally important to the future success of your business—namely because tax brackets are expected to skyrocket next year with or without hitting the dreaded fiscal cliff.
Get Paid Right Now
Go through your list of clients who have yet to pay you for services or products. Choose your best or most loyal customers out of the bunch and call them to ask for payment right away.
“Tax brackets will go up at least 5 percent next year, so if you can get your clients to pay you this year, you’ll pay less in taxes,” Wekherlien says.
Wekherlien also suggests you provide clients with an incentive to pay early by offering them a small discount, say, 1 to 2 percent.
Pay Your Children
Does your 10-year-old file papers at your office a few times a week? If so, your child could get you a nice tax write-off.
If your child makes $5,250 or less in a calendar year, you get to deduct the entire amount and your child doesn’t need to claim the earnings. What’s better: you can take up to $5,000 of what they earned and put it into an IRA.
“Most parents will pay their child $250 and put the rest into a retirement fund that the child can access when he or she is old enough,” says Wekherlien.
Buy Necessary Equipment Immediately
Business owners are smart to take advantage of the Section 179 Deduction, which allows entrepreneurs to deduct up to $139,000 worth of business equipment expenses.
“Next year that number is going to drop to just $25,000,” Wekherlien says.
Note: Your business needs to make well over $139,000 to take the full deduction, or you will be flagged for an audit, Wekherlien warns. If you bring in $80,000 this year, your deduction would be capped at $80,000. If you bring in $200,000, you would get the full $139,000 deduction.
Sell Your Assets
Capital gains rates for asset sales are around 15 percent right now. Next year, they’re expected to jump to at least 20 percent, Wekherlien notes. This means if you were looking to fund your business with stocks, you’d be smart to cash out this year as opposed to next year.
The same goes for land, gold, artwork and any other type of long-term asset. Get rid of it and save yourself the tax burden, she recommends.
Hire a Veteran
Hiring a military veteran is hugely beneficial to small-business owners this year. As part of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, any money paid to a qualified veteran (check list for qualifications) can be written off, dollar-for-dollar.“If you are going to hire a veteran, do it right now,” advises Wekherlien. “The credit will stop after Dec. 31.” By Katie Morell (openforum.com)

To place your order go to papernetusa.com

Use These Strategies to Reduce Your 2012 Income Taxes

Small-business owners still have time to implement several strategies that will reduce their 2012 income tax liability. The catch is that they must be put into place before the new year.
Consider the following opportunities:
•Accelerate income. Given the near-certainty of income tax increases beginning with the 2013 year, small-business owners that use cash-basis reporting should try their best to invoice and collect from their customers during the final days of 2012 so that income is taxed at current, lower rates.
• Convert your IRA. Owners of a Roth IRA can take money out of these accounts tax-free for retirement. That is a significant advantage to other types of retirement accounts that require you to pay income taxes when you take the money. You can convert your retirement accounts to Roth IRA. Converting will trigger a tax, but doing so in 2012 will result in a lower tax liability than doing so in 2013.
•Accelerate equipment purchases. Section 179 of the tax code allows you to expense the purchase of business equipment up to $139,000 in 2012. This goes down to only $25,000 in 2013. By openforum.com

To place your order go to papernetusa.com