A possible multilateral deal with U.S. allies, promotion of upgraded standards in other countries, and Trans-Pacific Partnership rules for state-owned enterprises are among the measures that will help the U.S. crack down on overcapacity and dumping of steel products that has strangled U.S. production, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said on April 12 during a hearing on global steel overcapacity and dumping. During the hearing at the International Trade Commission, hosted by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Commerce Department, industry and government officials discussed possible steps that can be taken to address steel industry issues, including safeguard duties and enhanced antidumping duty enforcement.
Notable CROSS rulings
A group of three U.S. manufacturers on April 8 filed a complaint with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duties on carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, and Turkey, and countervailing duties on cut-to-length plate from Brazil, China and South Korea.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is eliminating an exemption from registration requirements under the Endangered Species Act for inter-subspecific crossed tigers or generic tigers (Panthera tigris), which are specimens not identified or identifiable as members of Bengal, Sumatran, Siberian, or Indochinese subspecies, it said. The agency’s final rule (here) removes inter-subspecific crossed tigers and generic tigers from the list of species that are exempt from registration under the Captive-bred Wildlife regulations for activities including import, export and interstate commerce. The final rule takes effect May 6.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated April 5 (here) with 239 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 03/30/16.
The Food and Drug Administration is issuing a final rule (here) setting new regulations on the sanitary transportation of food. The rule requires that “shippers, carriers by motor vehicle or rail vehicle, receivers, and other persons engaged in the transportation of food to use sanitary transportation practices to ensure that food is not transported under conditions that may render the food adulterated,” said the agency. Failure to comply results in the food being deemed adulterated by FDA.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership will help reduce entry times, provide better information for exporters, and modernize sanitary and phytosanitary trade practices, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Director for Japan and Korea James Fatheree said during a panel discussion in Washington March 30. His words echoed findings in an analysis of the TPP by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (see 1603220062), which projected removal of non-tariff barriers will have a bigger impact on TPP member states than tariff reductions. “It helps reduce the time it takes to get goods into the market once they’ve landed,” Fatheree said during the event, hosted by the Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy on Capitol Hill. “That’s all good stuff. There was not, unfortunately, any provisions for cross-TPP de minimis standards, which would’ve been something that would help, I think, overall.”
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated March 28 (here) with 29 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 03/24/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated March 18 (here) with 49 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 03/17/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated March 7 (here) with 133 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 03/03/16.
Tubing for perforating guns used to dig oil wells is covered by antidumping and countervailing duties on oil country tubular goods from China (A-570-943/C-570-944), said the Commerce Department in a scope ruling issued Feb. 12. Importer DynaEnergetics argued the tubing is mechanical tubing exempt from AD/CV duties, and is used to perforate an oil well with explosive charges and then withdrawn. According to DynaEnergetics, the scope of duties on OCTG covers tubing used in oil wells that carries oil to the surface. However, Commerce noted the scope covers all “hollow steel products of circular cross-section, including oil well casing and tubing, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether seamless or welded, regardless of end finish” that is “of a kind used in drilling for oil and gas.” Because it meets the physical characteristics of the scope, is used in oil wells, and no exemption exists for mechanical tubing, DynaEnergetics’ tubing for perforating guns is subject to AD/CV duties, said Commerce.