China Aluminum Extrusions: Rheetech Screen Printing Frames Exempt From AD/CV Duties
Aluminum frames with polyester mesh screens attached for screen printing imported by Rheetech Sales & Services are not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties on aluminum extrusions from China (A-570-967/C-570-968), said the Commerce Department in a scope ruling issued Aug. 6. The screen printing frames are subassemblies and are exempt from duties as finished goods, it said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
The extruded 6063-T5 aluminum frames are imported with the polyester woven mesh already attached for use in screen printing designs onto fabric. The mesh screen may require replacement after about 50,000 imprints, after being used for four or five different designs, if it tears, or if it becomes too lose.
Commerce found that the screen printing frames are complete and assembled at the time of importation, and consist of both extruded aluminum and non-extruded aluminum components, making the frames eligible for the “finished goods” exemption from AD/CV duties on aluminum extrusions. A coalition of domestic manufacturers argued that the frames can’t be considered finished goods because they don’t perform their essential function on their own. But Commerce found that the screen printing frames are finished subassemblies that are incorporated into larger screen printing machines, and no “essential function” test applies.
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of this scope ruling.