Commerce Finalizes AD/CV Duties on Corrosion-Resistant Steel From Costa Rica, UAE

The Commerce Department is finalizing its expansion of antidumping and countervailing duties on corrosion-resistant steel from China to also cover imports from Costa Rica and the United Arab Emirates, it said final determinations that bring to a close anti-circumvention inquiries covering the two countries. Commerce continued to find producers in Costa Rica and the UAE are taking hot-rolled steel and cold-rolled steel from China and turning it into corrosion-resistant steel before exporting it to the U.S., in circumvention of AD/CV duties.

As a result, Commerce will direct CBP to continue to suspend liquidation for merchandise from Costa Rica and the UAE that are covered by these inquiries and entered on or after Aug. 12, 2019. Commerce will also require AD duty cash deposits for such entries at the 199.43% China-wide rate and CV duties at the 39.05% “all others” rate for the AD/CV duty orders on corrosion-resistant steel products from China, the agency said.

Commerce also issued a final negative determination in its anti-circumvention inquiry on corrosion-resistant steel products from Guatemala. The agency is also conducting similar anti-circumvention inquiries on imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from Malaysia and South Africa (see 2002140039). Commerce's preliminary determination in its inquiry on Malaysia resulted in preliminary AD/CV duties, while on South Africa it did not.

To avoid AD/CV duties on corrosion-resistant steel products from Costa Rica and the UAE, importers and exporters must continue to complete and maintain certifications that their products were not made from hot-rolled steel or cold-rolled steel flat products from China. The importer must complete the certification by the date of entry, and the exporter must complete it by the date of shipment. Corrosion-resistant steel products from the Costa Rican company Metas A is ineligible for certification, as is merchandise from the UAE company Asian Ispat FZ. Entries from these companies will automatically face AD/CV duties at rates applicable to Chinese corrosion-resistant steel products.

(Federal Register 07/13/20)