The Commerce Department issued a Federal Register notice on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigation on large top mount combination refrigerator-freezers from Thailand (A-549-853). The agency will determine whether imports of Thai refrigrator-freezers are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The investigation covers entries from Thailand during the period April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
Customs Duty
A Customs Duty is a tariff or tax which a country imposes on goods when they are transported across international borders. Customs Duties are used to protect countries' economies, residents, jobs, and environments, by limiting the flow of imported merchandise, especially restricted and prohibited goods, into the country. The Customs Duty Rate is a percentage determined by the value of the article purchased in the foreign country and not based on quality, size, or weight.
The Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 doesn't require payouts of interest assessed after liquidation, known as delinquency interest, to affected domestic producers, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said July 15. Judges Alan Lourie, Kara Stoll and Tiffany Cunningham said that the statute only provides for interest that's "earned on" antidumping and countervailing duties and "assessed under" the associated AD or CVD order.
The U.S. is seeking over $1.1 million in unpaid antidumping and countervailing duties plus a $2 million civil penalty against importer Forest Group USA and its alleged successor company, Drapery Hardware USA, the government said in a customs penalty suit filed July 10 (U.S. v. Forest Group USA, CIT # 24-00117).
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register July 11 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
CBP has released its July 10 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 58, No. 27). It contains a final rule adopting amendments to CBP regulations related to the import of merchandise that violates or is suspected of violating copyright laws, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (see 2407010029). It also contains a notice of revocation of one ruling letter and a revocation of treatment relating to the tariff classification of an automotive clutch tube that will be effective for merchandise entered or withdrawn from warehouse or consumption on or after Aug. 9.
CBP ignored the metadata of certain photographs and videos in an evasion investigation in order to claim they were unreliable, a wooden cabinet importer argued July 8 at the Court of International Trade (Skyview Cabinet USA v. U.S., CIT # 22-00080).
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called for a "legislative fix" to the de minimis exception "and the exploitation of that exception," the first time the administration has clearly said it hopes Congress will restrict the program that allows purchasers to import up to $800 worth of goods per day without paying tariffs.
The Court of International Trade sustained CBP's finding that Dominican exporter Kingtom Aluminio didn't evade antidumping and countervailing duty orders on aluminum extrusions from China. In a June 13 decision made public July 8, Judge Richard Eaton said Kingtom responded to all U.S. requests for information during an Enforce and Protect Act investigation, precluding the use of adverse facts available. He also said the court can't ignore "the total lack of any record evidence of any imports by Kingtom into the Dominican Republic" of aluminum extrusions made in China.
CBP is taking action against US Atlanta International, Global Source & Supply, Cosmos Granite (East) Marble and Cosmos Granite (West) over allegedly evading antidumping and countervailing duties on quartz surface products (QSP) from China.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on vanillin from China (A-570-172/C-570-173). The CVD investigation covers entries Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2023. The AD investigation covers entries Oct. 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024.