Manufacturer Asks for New AD/CV Duties on Steel Shelving From China
Edsal Manufacturing on Aug. 26 requested new antidumping and countervailing duties on boltless steel shelving units pre-packaged for sale from China (A-570-018/C-570-019). The Chicago-based manufacturer alleges that dumped and illegally subsidized imports of the shelving units, which are used for storage in homes, garages, offices and other businesses, are injuring U.S. industry. The company says Chinese imports have increased their share of the U.S. market and depressed prices by undercutting the prices of other producers.
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Proposed Scope
Edsal is proposing the following scope for the investigations:
"The scope of this petition covers boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale, with or without decks (‘boltless steel shelving’). The term ‘prepackaged for sale’ means that the vertical supports (i.e., posts) and horizontal supports (i.e., beams and braces) necessary to assemble a completed shelving unit (with or without decks) are packaged together for ultimate purchase by the end-user. The scope also includes add-on kits that allow the end-user to add an extension shelving unit onto an existing boltless steel shelving unit such that the extension and the original unit will share a set of posts. The term ‘boltless’ refers to steel shelving in which the vertical and horizontal supports forming the frame are assembled primarily without the use of nuts and bolts or screws. The vertical and horizontal support members for boltless steel shelving are typically assembled by fitting a rivet, punched or cut tab or other similar connector on one support into a hole, slot or similar receptacle on another support. The supports lock together to form the frame for the shelving unit. The incidental use of nuts and bolts or screws to add accessories, wall anchors, tie-bars or shelf supports does not remove the product from scope. Boltless steel shelving units may also come packaged as partially assembled, such as when two upright supports are welded together with front-to-back supports, or are otherwise connected, to form an end unit for the frame. The boltless steel shelving covered by this Petition may be commonly described as rivet shelving, welded frame shelving, slot and tab shelving, and punched rivet (quasi-rivet) shelving as well as by other trade names.
"The scope includes all boltless steel shelving meeting the description above, regardless of (1) vertical support or post type (including but not limited to open post, closed post and tubing); (2) horizontal support or beam/brace profile (including but not limited to Z-beam, C-beam, L-beam, step beam and cargo rack); (3) number of supports; (4) surface coating type (including but not limited to paint, epoxy, powder coating, zinc and other metallic coating); (5) number of levels; (6) weight capacity; (7) shape (including but not limited to rectangular, square, and corner units); (8) decking type (including but not limited to wire decking, particle board, laminated board or no deck at all); or (9) the boltless method by which vertical and horizontal supports connect (including but not limited to keyhole and rivet, slot and tab, welded frame, punched rivet and clip).
"Specifically excluded from the scope are pallet racks, plastic shelving units, wall-mounted shelving, wooden shelving units and other wooden furniture containing shelves. Also excluded from the scope is wire shelving, which consists of a shelf made from wire that incorporates both a wire deck and wire horizontal supports (taking the place of the horizontal beams and braces) into a single piece with tubular collars that slide over the posts and onto plastic sleeves snapped on the posts to create the finished shelving unit. Also excluded from the scope are bulk-packed parts or components of boltless steel shelving units and made-to-order commercial shelving systems.
"Subject boltless steel shelving enters the United States through Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (‘HTSUS’) statistical subheadings 9403.20.0018 (metal household furniture other than cribs and toddler enclosures etc.) and 9403.20.0020 (metal shelves other than household or office furniture), but may also enter through HTSUS 9403.10.0040 (metal furniture of a kind used in offices, other than filing cabinets). While HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and Customs purposes, the written description of the scope of this investigation is dispositive."
Commerce Accepting Comments on Petition Support
The Commerce Department is accepting comments on domestic industry support for the petitions to determine whether the petitions meet the dual requirements of support by domestic producers or workers accounting for (1) at least 25% of the total production of the domestic-like product and (2) more than 50% of the production of the domestic-like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. If the petitions meet these requirements, among others, Commerce will initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on boltless steel shelving units pre-packaged for sale from China. Comments are due by Sept. 15.
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.