International Trade Commission Rescinds Tariffs On Aluminum Restrictions

In a rare move, on Oct. 30, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a negative determination regarding countervailing and anti-dumping duties on imports of aluminum extrusions from China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.

The ITC decision means that countervailing and anti-dumping cases against these nations will be terminated and all duties that had been collected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be refunded to importers.

The ITC’s ruling came after opposition from a coalition that included the National Association of Home Builders urged the commission to reconsider the sweeping scope of tariffs. The coalition argued the penalties could raise costs for U.S. businesses, home buyers, and other consumers.

The ITC is generally represented by six members, but only four seats are currently filled. The majority was achieved with just two votes from commissioners — David Johanson and Jason Kearns who voted to overrule the aluminum extrusion import duties. ITC Chair Amy Karpel voted to maintain the penalties while Commissioner Rhonda Schmidtlein abstained from the vote.

The ITC’s report on this matter will be available to the public at this link at some point in December, most likely by Dec. 10.