​US trade panel probes Pakistani dental exporters

Washington, Dec 26 : The US International Trade Commission has taken up a complaint that targets several Pakistan-based dental product exporters, opening the door to possible import bans on their goods in the American market.

The Commission said it received the complaint on December 16 from Huwais IP Holding LLC and Versah, LLC. The filing alleges violations of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 involving the import and sale of “certain dental burs and kits thereof” in the United States.

According to the Federal Register notice, the complainants claim the products infringe protected rights and are seeking strong trade remedies. These include a general exclusion order, or alternatively a limited exclusion order, that would block the accused dental products from entering the United States. They are also seeking cease-and-desist orders and a bond on the products during the 60-day presidential review period.

Several Pakistani companies are named as respondents in the case. They include Pawn Move of Pakistan, Ali House of Dental of Pakistan, Mahfooz Instruments of Pakistan, Medsal International of Pakistan, Hamsan International d/b/a Hamsan Surgical of Pakistan, DentalBTC of Pakistan, Dyna International of Pakistan, and New Med Instruments of Pakistan. Firms based in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Canada are also listed in the complaint.

The Commission has invited responses from the named companies, as well as comments from other interested parties and government agencies. It said submissions should focus on whether the requested remedies would harm the public interest in the United States.

In its notice, the Commission said it is particularly interested in how the dental products are used in the United States. It also wants comments on whether excluding them could raise public health, safety, or welfare concerns. Another key question is whether similar or directly competitive products made in the United States could replace the imported items if they are banned.

The agency is also asking whether the complainants, their licensees, or third-party suppliers have enough capacity to replace the volume of products that could be affected by an exclusion order. It further seeks views on how the requested remedies could impact US consumers, including pricing and availability.

Section 337 investigations are a key US trade enforcement tool. They allow the government to block imports found to violate intellectual property rights or involve unfair trade practices, regardless of where the products are made.

Pakistan is a major exporter of surgical and dental instruments, with many firms supplying buyers in the United States and Europe. Past US trade actions under Section 337 have disrupted overseas suppliers and forced exporters to reassess compliance with US trade and intellectual property rules.