Commerce Department finds dumping of refillable stainless steel kegs from Mexico.

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Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued an affirmative final determination in the antidumping (AD) investigation of imports of refillable stainless steel kegs from Mexico.

Here’s a summary:

  1. Commerce found that exporters from Mexico have been selling refillable stainless steel kegs at less than fair value in the United States at a rate of 18.48 percent.
  2. After today, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to continue to collect cash deposits equal to the applicable final weighted-average dumping rate.
  3. Last year, imports of refillable stainless steel kegs from Mexico were valued at an estimated $13.4 million.
  4. The US manufacturer is the American Keg Company, LLC located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

So far into Trump’s administration, the Commerce Department has initiated 179 new antidumping/countervailing duty investigations – a 231% increase from the same time during the Obama administration.

The full text of the affirmative determination can be found at the following link:

https://enforcement.trade.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-mexico-refillable-stainless-steel-kegs-ad-final-081319.pdf

If you have any questions how this new AD determination will impact your business or would like to discuss ways to reduce your AD/CVD duties, contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu at dh@gjatradelaw.com, attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

Senator Rubio comments on the investigation of tomatoes from Mexico.

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U.S. Senator Marco Rubio issued a statement today about the ongoing antidumping investigation on fresh tomatoes from Mexico (Inv. No. 731-TA-747).

Senator Rubio said that “U.S. tomato growers should not have to lose their livelihoods due to a deal imposed on them by their own government”, adding that the loss of livelihood happened under the previous agreement.

Also stating: “The fact remains that the Mexicans have avoided serious negotiations for well over a year, preferring to use scare tactics and inflammatory rhetoric to try to force President Trump and Secretary Ross to back down on their commitment to ensure that American tomato growers are able to fairly compete in our own domestic market.”

Key upcoming dates in this investigation:

09/03/2019: Prehearing Report
09/10/2019: Prehearing Briefs
09/19/2019 9:30 am: Hearing
09/26/2019: Posthearing Briefs
10/10/2019: Report to the Commission
10/17/2019: Record Closing
10/21/2019: Final Comments
10/23/2019: Proposed Vote
11/04/2019: Determination(s) Issued
11/04/2019: View(s) Issued
11/04/2019: End

If you have any questions about how this investigation will impact you, contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

019: Report to the Commission
10/17/2019: Record Closing
10/21/2019: Final Comments
10/23/2019: Proposed Vote
11/04/2019: Determination(s) Issued
11/04/2019: View(s) Issued
11/04/2019: End

If you have any questions about how this investigation will impact you, contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com, dh@gjatradelaw.com.

New antidumping investigation on utility scale wind towers from Canada, Indonesia, Korea and Vietnam.

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Earlier this week, Arcosa Wind Towers and Broadwind Towers, Inc (Petitioners) petitioned for an investigation on utility scale wind towers from Canada, Indonesia, Korea and Vietnam. The merchandise covered in this scope consists of certain wind towers, whether or not tapered, and sections thereof. Certain wind towers are designed to support the nacelle and rotor blades in a wind turbine with a minimum rated electrical power generation capacity in excess of 100 kilowatts and with a minimum height of 50 meters measured from the base of the tower to the bottom of the nacelle (i.e., where the top of the tower and nacelle are joined) when fully assembled.

A wind tower section consists of, at a minimum, multiple steel plates rolled into cylindrical or conical shapes and welded together (or otherwise attached) to form a steel shell, regardless of coating, end-finish, painting, treatment, or method of manufacture, and with or without flanges, doors, or internal or external components (e.g., flooring/decking, ladders, lifts, electrical buss boxes, electrical cabling, conduit, cable harness for nacelle generator, interior lighting, tool and storage lockers) attached to the wind tower section. Several wind tower sections are normally required to form a completed wind tower.

Wind towers and sections thereof are included within the scope whether or not they are joined with nonsubject merchandise, such as nacelles or rotor blades, and whether or not they have internal or external components attached to the subject merchandise.

Specifically excluded from the scope are nacelles and rotor blades, regardless of whether they are attached to the wind tower. Also excluded are any internal or external components which are not attached to the wind towers or sections thereof, unless those components are shipped with the tower sections.

Merchandise covered by this investigation is currently classified in the HTSUS under subheading 7308.20.0020 or 8502.31.0000. While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.

The listed producers are CS Wind, Enercon Canada, Fabrication Delta, Marmen, Kenertec, Korindo Wind, Dongkuk S&C, Speco, Win&P, Ltd., CS WIND Vietnam Co., Ltd, Vina Halla Industrial Company, UBI Tower Sole Member Co. LTD.

If you are a manufacturer or importer of utility scale wind towers and want to know your options, contact David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at dh@gjatradelaw.com. Time is of the essence in antidumping investigations so you need to act soon.

China Commerce Ministry begins anti-dumping investigation on synthetic rubber products from the US, EU and South Korea.

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China’s Commerce Ministry said they will begin an anti-dumping investigation on imports of a synthetic rubber product from the United States, South Korea and the European Union. The investigation of ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM) was started by the request of Jilin Petrochemical and Shanghai Sinopec Mitsui Elastomers Co. Ltd. EPDM is commonly used in electric cables and tires.

Shipments of EPDM from the US, South Korea and the EU account for about 80% of China’s overall EPDM imports.

Jilin and Shanghai Sinopec claim the prices of EPDM from the U.S., South Korea and European Union are below the prices of the product in the Chinese markets, and the dumping into China had caused harm to them.

While our firm does handle antidumping actions initiated by the US Department of Commerce, I thought it was interesting to read about China initiating an antidumping investigation on US goods.

CBP investigating Philippines exporter for transshipment.

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According to the Inquirer.net, U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) is investigating whether a Philippines manufacturer (Enlin Corporation) of stainless steel flanges has been evading the payment of antidumping duties (AD) and countervailing (CVD) duties by marking the flanges as “made in the Philippines”. Shipping goods from one country to another and falsely claiming the country of origin to avoid AD/CVD duties is frequently referred to as “transshipment”.

Under the tariffs enacted earlier this  year, the combined AD/CVD on stainless steel flanges can reach as high as 400%. CBP has already placed certain importers of stainless steel flanges from the Philippines subject to AD/CVD duties.

If you have any questions about country of origin, transshipment (trans shipment) or your company is under an investigation by CBP, contact experienced trade attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or by email at: attorney.dave@yahoo.com for immediate assistance.

Commerce Department issues affirmative final circumvention ruling on steel from Vietnam.

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According to a May 21, 2018 news release on the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) website – the Commerce department announced an affirmative ruling on corrosion-resistant steel (CORE) and certain cold-rolled steel flat products (cold-rolled steel) imported from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) produced from substrate originating in the People’s Republic of China (China) are circumventing the antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders on CORE and cold-rolled steel imported from China.

In order to avoid payment of duties, some manufacturers ship goods to another country not subject to duties, and from there send the goods to the United States. This practice is known as “transshipment” and we will likely hear more reports of transshipment as manufacturers look for ways to avoid the steel and aluminum duties.

While the steel here is produced in Vietnam, Commerce found circumvention of AD/CVD orders did occur because the subject merchandise is the same class or kind of merchandise subject to existing orders and completed or assembled in a third party country prior to importation to the US.

Commerce will notify Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue collecting cash deposits on imports of CORE and cold-rolled steel produced in Vietnam using Chinese-origin materials at an AD rate of 199.43 percent and CVD rate of 39.05 percent.

CBP will also collect AD and CVD cash deposits on imports of cold-rolled steel produced in Vietnam using Chinese-origin substrate at rates of 199.76 percent and 256.44 percent, respectively.

If you have any questions about this or any other AD/CVD order, call experienced antidumping attorney David Hsu at 832-896-6288 or email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.

Givens and Johnston will give an AD/CVD presentation to the HCBFFA.

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On Wednesday, May 23, 2018, Scott Johnston, James Garland Hurst and Luis Arandia of Givens and Johnston, PLLC will present a half-day program regarding Anti Dumping/ Countervailing Duties.

Topics covered include:

1. What are orders

2. Overview

  • a. Process
  • b. Scopes
  • c. Updates

3. Meaning of Case numbers

4. How to Research AD / CVD

5. Scope Determinations

6. Administrative Review

7. Petitions

8. What is Critical Circumstances

9. CBP Role in AD / CVD

10. Origin irregularities

11. Collection

12. Sunset Reviews

13. Other Trade Remedies

14. Section 232 – 301

15. Current Trade Issues

CCS / CES Point Information:  

This event has been approved for 3.5 NCBFAA CCS points.

For more details and to register, visit HCBFFA.org