Failures in import compliance were revealed in the Senate Finance Committee's report on two auto companies' imports of parts or cars containing parts made by a company on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list (see 2405200009). But the report also exposed a weakness in CBP's ability to detect goods that should be detained under UFLPA, finding that Jaguar Land Rover imported spare parts that included LAN transformers made by a Chinese company on the entity list and only one manufacturer removed from the finished product.
Five products identified by the Biden administration as deserving 100% Section 301 tariffs for strategic reasons -- electric vans, buses, low-speed golf-cart like EVs, electric cars, and plug-in hybrids -- will see higher rates on Aug. 1.
Solar manufacturing equipment imported from China will automatically be exempt from 301 tariffs, but a notice published by the Office of U.S. Trade Representative is unclear on when those tariffs will be lifted. A spokesperson said they will be effective on the day the notice is published in the Federal Register.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on alkyl phosphate esters from China (A-570-168/C-570-169). The CVD investigation covers entries Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2023. The AD investigation covers entries Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
The Commerce Department issued a notice in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Cambodia (A-555-003/C-555-004), Malaysia (A-557-830/C-557/831), Thailand (A-549-851/C-549-852) and Vietnam (A-552-841/C-552-842). The CVD investigations cover entries for the calendar year 2023. The AD investigations on Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand cover entries April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and the AD investigation on Vietnam covers entries Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
A coalition of U.S. manufacturers seeks the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of disposable aluminum containers from China, it said in petitions filed May 15 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CVD orders on disposable aluminum containers, which include pans and trays "generally produced using aluminum foil," and the assessment of AD/CVD on importers.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on ceramic tile from India (A-533-928/C-533-929). The AD investigation covers entries April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and the CVD investigation covers entries Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023.
Full details about the Section 301 exclusion process will be revealed next week, but a White House memo said that importers of machinery in chapters 84 and 85 will need to submit requests for exclusions, even though the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative already has compiled a list of HTS codes it sees as appropriate targets for exclusions. The memo said there will be a way to register opposition to those requests, as well. The memo said the USTR "shall prioritize, in particular, exclusions for certain solar manufacturing equipment."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on May 15 said the scope of the antidumping duty order on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Thailand unambiguously includes dual-stenciled pipe, reversing the Court of International Trade's decision.
The restriction that products that owe Section 301 tariffs will not be able to avoid Column 1 tariffs through the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill could greatly reduce how much money is saved by importers.