U.S. importer Water Pik will avoid Section 301 duties on its electromechanical oral hygiene devices from China after arguing that CBP should have classified them under a different Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading (Water Pik v. United States, CIT # 23-00083).
Two models of upholstered wood chairs manufactured by Indianapolis-area furniture maker University Loft Co. qualify to be part of the U.S. government’s "Buy American" procurement program even though some of the chairs’ components were imported from China, CBP ruled recently.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Commerce Department is amending its preliminary antidumping duty determination on aluminum lithographic printing plates from China (A-570-156) to correct a calculation error in the AD rate for Fujifilm China. As a result of the correction, the cash deposit rate in effect for Fujifilm China will increase substantially, from 38.57% to 164.3%. As a result of the increase, in order to keep the China-wide rate above Fujifilm's new rate, Commerce is also increasing the China-wide rate from 107.61% to 477.59%
A bipartisan bill to amend the Lacey Act was introduced in the House of Representatives, and it would add a ban on import and export of "prohibited primate species." The bill's text was published this week. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Joe Neguse, D-Colo., were the original sponsors; 15 other co-sponsors have joined the bill since its introduction.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The country of origin of a Whirlpool food waste disposer is Mexico and Section 301 duties don't apply, CBP said in a customs ruling dated May 15. The agency found that, despite the motor in the garbage disposal being of Chinese origin, the manufacturing process in Mexico substantially transformed the original components into subassemblies, which were then combined to make the final food disposer.
The Council of the European Union last week officially adopted new EU-wide supply chain due diligence rules that will require certain companies to conduct specific due diligence on their supply chains, including to root out forced labor.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, shortly after the administration chose to keep and expand the Section 301 tariffs (see 2405220072), grappled with what it should recommend to Congress on how to use trade policy to counteract trade distortions from China's communist-run economy.
The International Trade Commission published notices in the May 22 Federal Register on the following AD/CVD injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):