A group of U.S. steelmakers filed a petition on Feb. 12 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on stainless steel sheet and strip from China. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on these products, based on the request by AK Steel , Allegheny Ludlum, North American Stainless, and Outokumpu Stainless.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is a reference manual that provides duty rates for almost every item that exists. It is a system of classifying and taxing all goods imported into the United States. The HTS is based on the international Harmonized System, which is a global standard for naming and describing trade products, and consists of a hierarchical structure that assigns a specific code and rate to each type of merchandise for duty, quota, and statistical purposes. The HTS was made effective on January 1, 1989, replacing the former Tariff Schedules of the United States. It is maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission, but the Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the HTS.
The Commerce Department issued Federal Register notices on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on biaxial integral geogrid products from China (A-570-036/C-570-037). The agency will determine whether imports of Chinese geogrid products are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value or illegally subsidized. The period under investigation in the CV duty case is Jan. 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2015. In the AD duty investigation, it's July 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2015.
The Commerce Department issued Federal Register notices on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigations on new pneumatic off-the-road tires from India (A-533-869) and China (A-570-034), and countervailing duty investigations on off-road tires from from India (C-533-870), China (C-570-035) and Sri Lanka (C-542-801).
CBP is requesting comments by March 9 on an existing information collection for applications for exportation of articles under special bond. CBP proposes (here) to extend the expiration date of this information collection without a change to the burden hours or information collected.
The United Steelworkers filed a petition on Jan. 29 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on truck and bus tires from China. The labor union says a rising tide of truck and bus tire imports from China is undercutting U.S. prices and taking market share from domestic producers.
Auburn Manufacturing filed a petition on Jan. 19 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on amorphous silica fabric rom China. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on amorphous silica fabric, which is used in industrial applications to make welding curtains, welding blankets, welding pads, or fire blanket.
Tansar Corporation filed a petition on Jan. 12 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on biaxial integral geogrid products from China. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on these products, which are used in earth reinforcement and stabilization applications in the construction industry, that could result in the imposition of duties.
CBP said it created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1601 on Jan. 12, containing 808 ABI records and 169 harmonized tariff records. The update includes changes made by the Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, said CBP (here). Adjustments required for the verification of the 2016 Harmonized Tariff Schedule are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
Titan Tire Corporation and the United Steel Workers trade union filed a petition on Jan. 8 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duties on new pneumatic off-road tires from China and India, and new countervailing duties on off-the-road tires from China, India and Sri Lanka. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on these products that could result in the imposition of duties.
The South African government believes that President Barack Obama’s Jan. 11 announcement (here) of suspension of benefits for all South African agricultural goods eligible for duty-free treatment under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will be lifted as soon as the U.S. can verify that its poultry is being sold in South African grocery stores, South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a Jan. 12 statement. “South Africa wishes to clarify that all its AGOA benefits remain in place and the new proclamation issued by President Obama announcing the suspension of agriculture benefits on the 15th of March will be lifted as soon as the first shipment of poultry enters the South African market,” it said.