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U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping of Imports of Forged Steel Fittings from China and Italy and Countervailable Subsidization of Imports of Forged Steel Fittings from China - Department o Commerce

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of forged steel fittings from China and Italy and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of forged steel fittings from China. 

The Commerce Department determined that exporters from China and Italy have sold forged steel fittings in the United States at 8.00 to 142.72 percent and 49.43 to 80.20 percent less than fair value, respectively. Commerce also determined that China is providing countervailable subsidies to its producers of forged steel fittings at the final rate of 13.41 percent.

In 2017, imports of forged steel fittings from China and Italy were valued at an estimated $104.8 million and $43.9 million, respectively.

The petitioners are Bonney Forge Corporation (Mount Union, PA), and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy,
Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (Pittsburgh, PA).

The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration. Since the beginning of the current Administration, Commerce has initiated 124 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – this is a 226 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.

Antidumping and countervailing duty laws provide American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of the unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 456 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is currently scheduled to make its final injury determinations on November 15, 2018. If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD and CVD orders. If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.

Click HERE for a fact sheet on today’s decisions.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.

Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. Companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks, or production inputs, are subject to countervailing duties aimed at directly countering those subsidies.


OTEXA - Increased Limits on Duty/Quota-Free Apparel from Africa - Office of Textile and Apparel 

Limitations on Duty and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African Countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The new AGOA caps are for the one-year period from October 1, 2018-September 30, 2019.


Merchandise Processing Fee and Preferential Trade Program Table - U.S. Customs & Border Protection

An updated Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and Preferential Trade Program table has been posted at https://www.cbp.gov/document/guidance/merchandise-processing-fee-mpf-table

This table highlights how the MPF exemptions in 19 CFR 24.23(c) affect importations under our various free trade agreements (FTAs) and preferential trade legislation (PTL) programs. 

The table provides guidance and links with respect to MPF treatment for tariff preference level (TPL) goods, over-quota tariff rate quota (TRQ) goods, and originating unconditionally free goods.


Over 1650lbs of Marijuana Seized at Blue Water Bridge - U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Drugs found in shipments of Canadian bulk mail

PORT HURON, Mich — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron seize more than 1650 pounds of marijuana during truck inspections over the past five weeks.

The first seizure took place on August 28th, when officers referred a tractor trailer carrying Canadian bulk mail for secondary inspection. The truck was escorted to the Centralized Examination Station where a CBP canine alerted on multiple packages in the shipment. A subsequent search of the trailer led to the discovery of 14 concealed packages of marijuana weighing more than 300lbs.

“This is outstanding work by the officers here in Port Huron,” said Michael Fox, Area Port Director. “Using the mail system to ship illegal drugs is nothing new to CBP. We will continue to thwart all attempts to smuggle illegal drugs through the mail system.”  
The marijuana seized by CBP will be destroyed at a later date. The drivers, who were all Canadian citizens, were released along with their trucks.


Update to Tariff Codes for Import Restrictions on Fish from Mexico Caught with GillnetsU.S. Customs & Border Protection

- The new tariff code is other than scaled Jack and Horse Mackerel - 030245000, replacing 0302454550.

- This CSMS replaces and supersedes all previous related CSMS messages: 18-000482, 18-000483, 18-000484, 18-000502, and 18-000555.  This update is to supply the updated Tariff Code list as attached to this CSMS. 

- This CSMS is an update in response to the notification published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the Federal Register on August 28, 2018, entitled ¡§Implementation of Import Restrictions; Certification of Admissibility for Certain Fish Products from Mexico¡¨ (83 FR 43796). A United States Court of International Trade (CIT) order (Slip-Op 18-92) imposed immediate import restrictions on fish and fish products of Mexican origin caught with gillnets deployed in the native geographic range of the critically endangered Vaquita porpoise, which are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Under the August 14, 2018 court order, an import ban was placed on certain fish and fish products from Mexico (chano, sierra, curvina, and shrimp) that were caught with gillnets deployed in the Northern Gulf of California. To implement the court order, NOAA mandates that imports of shrimp, fish and fish products of Mexican origin that are entered under designated HTS codes must be accompanied by ¡§Certification of Admissibility¨ 

- An interim process provides trade a sufficient transition period to comply with the newly instituted entry documentation procedures.  Currently, entries of listed Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) regulated commodities must be accompanied with either the ¡§Importer Statement of Admissibility¡¨ or the ¡§Certification of Admissibility¡¨ signed by a duly authorized official of the Mexican Government.   NMFS will continue to accept the ¡§Importer Statement of Admissibility¡¨ until 11:59 pm on October 14, 2018.  Beginning at 12:00 am on October 15, 2018, imports of shrimp, fish and fish products under the affected HTS codes (see updated link below) must be accompanied by the ¡§Certification of Admissibility¡¨ (OMB 0648-0651) signed by a duly authorized official of the Mexican government.  The statement or certification may be uploaded into ACE DIS using code NMF23, physically presented in paper form, e-mail or fax to the appropriate CBP Port of Entry official for review. 

- Certain fish from Mexico (chano, sierra, curvina, and shrimp) caught with gillnets in the range of the Vaquita porpoise will be refused entry and no certification will make them admissible. Fish, fish products and shrimp not caught with a gillnet in the range of the Vaquita porpoise are admissible, but only if accompanied with certification documents at the time of the entry. Eligible entries from Mexico under the designated HTS codes must be accompanied by certification or the entire shipment will be denied entry. 

Beginning immediately through October 14, 11:59pm: 

1. Certification of Admissibility
Or
2. Statement of Admissibility  

Beginning on October 15, 2018 at 12:00 am:

 1. Certification of Admissibility 

This procedure will continue until further notice. 

For more information:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/foreign/marine-mammal-protection/seafood-import-restrictions 

Federal Register Notice 83 FR 43792:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/08/28/2018-18628/implementation-of-import-restrictions-certification-of-admissibility-for-certain-fish-products-from HTS codes prohibited entry into the United States from Mexico unless accompanied by a U.S. Importer of Record Certification:  See attached HTS  

Certification of Admissibility and instructions may be found at:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/foreign/marine-mammal-protection/seafood-import-restrictions  


USITC to Investigation the Economic Effects of Recently Enacted Temporary Duty Suspensions and Reductions - US International Trade Commission

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is seeking input for a newly instituted general factfinding investigation regarding the effects on the U.S. economy of duty suspensions and reductions enacted under the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act (AMCA).

The investigation, American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act: Effects of Temporary Duty Suspensions and Reductions on the U.S. Economy, was triggered by the recent enactment of a miscellaneous tariff bill under the law.

The AMCA requires the USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, to prepare a report concerning the effects on the U.S. economy of duty suspensions and reductions enacted pursuant to the AMCA.  The USITC’s report must be submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of a miscellaneous tariff bill.

Congress completed work on a miscellaneous tariff bill on September 4, 2018, and the President signed the legislation into law on September 13, 2018.

As required, the USITC will provide a broad assessment of the economic effects of duty suspensions and reductions on U.S. producers, purchasers, and consumers, as well as case studies looking at the effects on individual sectors. The report will also include recommendations solicited from the public with respect to those domestic industry sectors that might benefit from permanent duty suspensions or reductions, with a particular focus on inequities created by tariff inversions. This public report will be delivered to the Committees by September 13, 2019.

The USITC is seeking input for this investigation from all interested parties and requests that the information focus on the articles for which the USITC is requested to provide information and advice.  The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation at 9:30 a.m. on March 5, 2019.  Requests to appear at the public hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on February 19, 2019, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436.

The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary to the Commission at the above address and should be submitted at the earliest practical date but no later than 5:15 p.m. on March 22, 2019. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection.

Further information on the scope of this investigation and appropriate submissions appears in the USITC’s notice of investigation, dated on October 2, 2018. The notice can be obtained from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or by contacting the Office of the Secretary at the above address or at 202-205-2000.

USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission's objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently
released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.
 
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