Commerce to Determine Whether Unfinished Bag Blanks Circumvent AD Order on China Bags
The Commerce Department is beginning an inquiry to determine whether imports of unfinished “t-shirt” bags are circumventing the antidumping duty order on polyethylene retails carrier bags from China (A-570-886). According to domestic industry, several importers are bringing in bags from China that require so little processing after importation that they should be considered subject to the order.
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The bags at issue are unfinished bags sealed on all four sides, that are imported from China. The bags are otherwise are identical to subject merchandise, domestic industry said. Once in the U.S., the only step required to turn the unfinished bags into the finished product is die-cutting to create the bag’s opening and handles, it said. The die-cutting counts as a “minor or insignificant process” that shouldn’t mean the bags aren’t covered by the order, the petitioners said.
If Commerce issues a preliminary affirmative determination, it will direct CBP to suspend liquidation and require a cash deposit of estimated duties, at the applicable rate, for each unliquidated entry of the merchandise at issue, entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after the date of initiation of the inquiry (i.e., May 14).
(Federal Register 05/14/13)