New AD/CV Duties Requested on Silcon Metal From Bosnia, Iceland, Kazakhstan and Malaysia

Two domestic manufacturers filed a petition June 29 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duty duties on silicon metal from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Malaysia, and new countervailing duties on the same product from Kazakhstan. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on silicon metal that could eventually result in the assessment of AD/CV duties.

The petition was filed by Ferroglobe PLC subsidiary Globe Specialty Metals Inc. (GSM) and Mississippi Silicon. AD duty orders have been in place since 1991 on silicon metal from China, and since 2003 on silicon metal from Russia. GSM filed a petition for CV duties on silicon metal from Kazakhstan in 2017 that eventually led to a negative injury determination from the ITC, but the factors that led to the termination of that investigation “are not relevant here,” the petition said.

Proposed Scope

The petition proposes the following scope for the investigations:

The scope of this investigation covers all forms and sizes of silicon metal, including silicon metal powder. Silicon metal contains at least 85.00 percent but less than 99.99 percent silicon, and less than 4.00 percent iron, by actual weight. Semiconductor grade silicon (merchandise containing at least 99.99 percent silicon by actual weight and classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 2804.61.0000) is excluded from the scope of this investigation.

Silicon metal is currently classifiable under subheadings 2804.69.1000 and 2804.69.5000 of the HTSUS. While the HTSUS numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope remains dispositive.

Commerce Accepting Comments on Petition Support

The Commerce Department is accepting comments on domestic industry support for the petitions to determine whether the petitions meet the dual requirements of support by domestic producers or workers accounting for (1) at least 25% of the total production of the domestic-like product and (2) more than 50% of the production of the domestic-like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. If the petitions meet these requirements, among others, Commerce will initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Comments are due by July 20.

Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petitions.