Admin l Tuesday, July 03, 2019
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of certain steel wheels 12 to 16.5 inches in diameter from China.
In a statement, the department said it found out that exporters from China have sold certain steel wheels 12 to 16.5 inches in diameter at less than fair value in the United States at rates of 38.27 to 44.35 percent. In addition, Commerce determined that exporters from China received countervailable subsidies at rates from 386.45 to 388.31 percent.
In 2017, U.S. imports of certain steel wheels 12 to 16.5 inches in diameter from China were valued at an estimated $73.8 million. The petitioners are Worthington Industries (Columbus, OH) and Manchester Tank & Equipment Co. (Franklin, TN).
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration, the department said. Since the beginning of the current administration, commerce has initiated 172 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – this is a 219 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
Antidumping and countervailing duty laws provide American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of the unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 487 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is currently scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or about August 15, 2019. If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD and CVD orders. If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade law and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.
“Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. Companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks, or production inputs, are subject to countervailing duties aimed at directly countering those subsidies”, the department said.
