Petition Filed New AD Duties on Roller Bearings From South Korea
The Timken Company filed a petition on June 27 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission, asking for new antidumping duties on tapered roller bearings from South Korea. Commerce will now decide whether to begin an AD duty investigation on tapered roller bearings from South Korea. Duties would come on top of an existing AD duty order on tapered roller bearings from China.
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Proposed Scope
The scope of this investigation covers certain tapered roller bearings (TRB) with a nominal outside cup diameter of eight inches and under, regardless of type of steel, whether of inch or metric size, and whether made of through-hardened steel or case hardened (case-carburized) steel. Certain tapered roller bearings include: finished cup and cone assemblies entering as a set, finished cone assemblies entering separately, and finished parts (cups, cones, and tapered rollers). Certain tapered roller bearings are sold individually as sets (cup and cone assembly), as a cone assembly, as a finished cup, or packaged as a kit with one or several tapered roller bearings, a seal and grease. Certain tapered roller bearings can be a single row or multiple rows (e.g., two- or four-row), and a cup can handle a single cone assembly or multiple cone assemblies. Included in the scope are thrust bearings. The scope of this investigation does not include unfinished parts of tapered roller bearings (cups, cones and tapered rollers) and does not include cages, whether finished or unfinished. As noted above, the scope does not include tapered roller bearing wheel hub units, railroad bearings, and other housed tapered roller bearings (flange, take up cartridges and hanger units incorporating tapered rollers). Tapered roller bearings that have a nominal outer cup diameter of eight inches and under that are used in wheel hub units, railroad bearings, or other housed bearings, but entered separately, are included in the scope to the same extent as described above. All tapered roller bearings meeting the written description above are included, regardless of coating.
The standard TRB is made of four elements: an inner ring (called a cone), an outer ring (called a cup), tapered rollers that fit between the cup and the cone, and a cage that aligns and spaces the rollers. Cups and assembled cones may also be sold separately. Assembled cones consist of the “naked” cones that have been assembled with tapered rollers and a cage. In order for TRBs to perform their primary function of reducing friction, cups must be mated with corresponding assembled cones in the final product in which they are being incorporated. For example, cups may be sold to a wheel hub manufacturer and assembled cones may be sold to an axle manufacturer, but the two TRB components will meet again at a truck manufacturer where the wheel hub is fitted to the axle, and the cup then rotates around the cone assembly.
TRBs are used in applications where it is necessary to counteract friction caused by both radial and thrust loads. TRBs are able to withstand such combined loads while offering moderate speed capacity and heavy load capacity. Certain TRBs are used extensively in the automotive industry, and in the heavy machinery sector -- primarily construction and agricultural equipment, as well as in general industrial sectors.
Tapered roller bearings subject to this investigation are primarily classifiable under subheadings 8482.20.0040, 8482.20.0061, 8482.20.0070, 8482.20.0081, 8482.91.0050, 8482.99.1550 and 8482.99.1580 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”). Parts may also enter under 8482.99.4500. While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and for customs purposes, the written description of the subject merchandise 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 an antidumping duty investigation that could lead to a permanent antidumping duty order. Comments are due by July 17.
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.