U.S. Government Makes Important Announcements In Several Trade Cases

The U.S. government recently announced developments in several trade matters concerning industrial metals. Specifically:

• On Sept. 25, the International Trade Administration (ITA) announced it has initiated antidumping duty investigations into imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of the same corrosion-resistant metals from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Vietnam. The ITA has until the end of October to determine whether to proceed with an investigation. The alleged dumping margins, which could lead to tariffs, range nine percent for Turkey to 159 percent for Vietnam. Read more from The Fabricator.
• On Oct. 2, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced the addition of two Chinese companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. This list is meant to eradicate forced labor and promote accountability for the PRC’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other religious and ethnic minority groups. The announcement meant that, effective Oct. 3, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), began applying a rebuttable presumption that goods produced by Baowu Group Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. and Changzhou Guanghui Food Ingredients Co., Ltd. will be prohibited from entering the United States. Notably, it is the first time a steel company has been added to the UFLPA Entity List. Read DHS’s press release at this link.
• Finally, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) issued a final determination in trade cases targeting aluminum extrusion imports from 14 countries, including China. The DOC imposed antidumping duties at rates ranging from 2.02 percent up to 376.85 percent and countervailing duties at rates ranging from 1.44 percent up to 168.81 percent. Read more at this link.