A Republican senator said that even with three years of protectionist tariffs and quotas, the U.S. steel industry cannot meet demand, causing manufacturers that need steel to either curtail production or move production outside the country. In a Sept. 2 letter, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., told the commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative that lifting the tariffs on European countries' steel exports is a good first step, but that Japan and South Korea, too, should be given an opportunity to get relief, which in turn, should help alleviate the 400% increase in the cost of the metal this year. He said there will be a surge in demand if the infrastructure bill passes Congress, and the U.S. needs to prepare for that by lifting Section 232 tariffs and quotas.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Aug. 30 - Sept. 5:
The American Association of Exporters and Importers, IBM and U.S. subsidiaries of the Foxconn Technology Group all disagree with CBP's proposed use of Part 102 rules of origin in non-preferential claims and procurement under USMCA (see 2107010045), they said in the comments recently posted in the docket for the proposal. Meanwhile, lithium-ion battery producer, Inventus Power, and the American Iron and Steel Institute voiced support for the changes in their comments. So far, the comments show a deep split between industries in support (see 2107270049) and against (see 2109010006) the proposal.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Aug. 30 - Sept. 3 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 will need to weigh in on how it plans to approach goods that were delayed by Hurricane Ida and have Section 232 tariff date sensitivities, a CBP official said Sept. 2 during a call with software developers. Asked about goods subject to a "232 quota exclusion due to expire in very the near future," the official said CBP has been in contact with the Department of Commerce, which will need to give input on any issues involving quota and the exemptions. Once that "absolute quota is filled, then it's filled" and "the importer will have to warehouse that merchandise if they're not able to use that quota exclusion before the quota exclusion expires."
The Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users noted that the price of steel in the U.S. continues to climb, and the gap between U.S. prices and European prices is $734 a ton, up $118 in the last two weeks, while Chinese manufacturers pay $1,334/ton less than U.S. buyers. "The domestic steel industry’s capacity-utilization rate is up to 85 percent, far above the U.S. Commerce Department’s announced target of 80 percent that was used as a reason for the Trump Administration imposing the Section 232 steel tariffs in 2018," the coalition said. "U.S. manufacturers desperately need more steel, and one way to increase supply is for the Biden Administration to eliminate the Section 232 tariffs. With domestic steel producers enjoying record profits, it’s clear that this tariff protection is no longer needed.”
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Aug. 23-29:
The Court of International Trade on Aug. 26 dismissed a steel importer's and purchaser's bid to reliquidate two entries subject to Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs, saying the plaintiffs had already received the relief available to them from the Commerce Department in the form of a product exclusion but failed to preserve their ability to receive a refund by way of an extension of liquidation or a protest.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Aug. 16-20 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Aluminum Association's Section 232 working group recently met with Commerce Department and Office of U.S. Trade Representative staff “with a recommendation on how to navigate the ongoing aluminum tariff dispute between the U.S. and European Union,” it said in its weekly newsletter. The U.S. and the EU said in June they hoped to reach an agreement on Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum by year-end (see 2106150070). “Rather than a hard tariff rate quota (TRQ) to replace the 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports from the EU, the Aluminum Association is proposing that the tariff be gradually reduced until it reaches parity on a U.S./EU Most Favored Nation basis,” it said.