Petition Filed for New AD/CV Duties on Aluminum Wire and Cable From China
Two U.S. manufacturers seek the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on aluminum wire and cable from China, they said in a petition filed with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission Sept. 21. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CV duty orders and the assessment of AD and CV duties on importers.
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AD/CV duties sought by the petition, filed by Encore Wire Corporation and Southwire Company, would come on top of recently imposed Section 301 tariffs covering imports of the product under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 8544.49.90. Despite those tariffs, "the injurious pricing of subject imports has continued, with the result that domestic producers require more robust relief from these unfair trade practices," the petition said.
Proposed Scope
The petition proposes the following scope for the investigations:
The scope of the petitions covers aluminum wire and cable (“AWC”), which is defined as an assembly of one or more electrical conductors made from 8000 Series Aluminum Alloys, Aluminum Alloy 1350, and/or Aluminum Alloy 6201, provided that: (1) at least one of the electrical conductors is insulated; (2) each insulated electrical conductor has a voltage rating greater than 80 volts and not exceeding 1000 volts; and (3) at least one electrical conductor is stranded and has a size not less than 16.5 kcmil and not greater than 1000 kcmil.15 The assembly may or may not: (1) include a grounding or neutral conductor; (2) be clad with aluminum, steel, or other base metal; or (3) include a steel support center wire, one or more connectors, a tape shield, a jacket or other covering, and/or filler materials.
Most AWC products conform to National Electrical Code (“NEC”) types THHN, THWN, THWN-2, XHHW-2, USE, USE-2, RHH, RHW, or RHW-2, and also conform to Underwriters Laboratories (“UL”) standards UL-44, UL-83, UL-758, UL-854, UL-1063, UL1277, UL-1569, UL-1581 or UL-4703, but such conformity is not required for the merchandise to be included within the scope.
The scope of the petitions specifically excludes conductors that are included in equipment already assembled at the time of importation. Also excluded are aluminum wire and cable products in lengths less than six feet.
The merchandise covered by the petitions is currently classifiable under subheading 8544.49.9000 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. Products subject to the petitions may also enter under HTSUS subheading 8544.42.9090. The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes. The written description of the scope of the petitions 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. Comments are due Oct. 11.
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.