The Commerce Department estimates that automakers will be able to save about $10 billion annually in tariffs on USMCA-qualifying cars, trucks and minivans imported from Canada or Mexico by submitting documentation to the International Trade Commission about the U.S. content in those vehicles. However, that estimate assumes that 25% tariffs on imported cars do not change the buying patterns of U.S. consumers, nor the production choices of automakers.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is looking to continue moving away from proposed rulemakings and instead issue most new rules as interim final or final, said two people with knowledge of the agency’s plans.
Gibson Dunn brought a suit to the Court of International Trade on behalf of a small Michigan-based importer, Detroit Axle, to challenge President Donald Trump's revocation of the de minimis threshold for Chinese goods. The complaint, filed on May 16, argues that Trump exceeded his statutory authority in eliminating de minimis for goods from China and acted arbitrarily and capriciously in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (Axle of Dearborn, d/b/a Detroit Axle v. Dep't of Commerce, CIT # 25-00091).
Five senators, both Republicans and Democrats, asked Jamieson Greer, then the U.S. trade representative nominee, to advocate for a formal exclusion process to tariffs, as was done for the Section 301 tariffs in Trump's first term. These written exchanges were recently posted at the Senate Finance Committee website, long after Greer's confirmation vote.
Section 232 investigations are "moving much, much quicker" in the second Trump administration, trade lawyer Daniel Cannistra said May 14 on a podcast.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register May 16 on the following antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CVD rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
In a scope ruling released May 7, the Commerce Department said that certain temporary use spare tires imported from China by Logistical Resource Development aren’t subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese passenger vehicle and light truck tires. It has reached similar decisions regarding temporary use tires from Taiwan and Thailand (see 2403120022) and 2401250038).
The Commerce Department has published the final results of its countervailing duty administrative review on corrosion resistant steel from South Korea (C-580-879). These final results will be used to set final assessments of CVD on importers for subject merchandise entered Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
The Commerce Department has published the final results of its countervailing duty administrative review on cold-rolled steel flat products from South Korea (C-580-882). These final results -- only the rate for POSCO affiliates changed, from 1.48% in the preliminary results -- will be used to set final assessments of CVD on importers for subject merchandise entered Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
The Commerce Department said it's partially rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp (shrimp) from India (A-533-840) for the period of review Feb. 1, 2023, through Jan. 31, 2024, because a large number of companies had no reviewable, suspended entries of subject merchandise during the review period. Those companies are listed in Appendix II of the notice. Three other companies will not be reviewed because their requests for review were withdrawn. They are named in Appendix I of the notice.