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U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)

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Trade News: AD/CVD Petition Filed Against Sol Gel Alumina-Based Ceramic Abrasive Grains from China

Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc., filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping and countervailing (AD/CVD) duties on the imports of certain sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains from China.

The petitioner alleges that imports of ceramic abrasive grains are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The petitioner also alleges that the government of China has used an array of tools to support local ceramic abrasive grains producers and manufacturers. 

Full list of exporters. Full list of importers.

Background on AD/CVD Investigations

Antidumping duty (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) investigations are brought jointly by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“USITC”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”). AD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports of particular goods from specific countries being sold at less than a fair value. Meanwhile, CVD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports that are being unfairly subsidized by their governments. 

Scope of the Investigation

Ceramic abrasive grains are a type of advanced abrasive, essential for the use of abrasive tools. After production, sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive grains are typically bonded or coated to grinding media or “backings” (i.e., sandpapers, grinding wheels, grinding cylinders, grinding discs, etc.) for end use in high-precision manufacturing tools across a variety of industries.

This Petition covers sol gel alumina-based ceramic abrasive […]

By |2024-11-26T20:42:12-05:00November 26, 2024|AD/CVD, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)|0 Comments
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CBP Issues Guidance on Melt and Pour Requirements for Steel Articles

CBP recently issued guidance on melt and pour requirements for certain imported steel articles, implementing President Biden’s July proclamation adjusting imports of steel and aluminum into the United States.

Steel and Aluminum Proclamation Background

On July 10, 2024, President Biden issued two proclamations on adjusting imports of steel and aluminum into the United States. The proclamations increased the section 232 duty rate for both products and adjusted the requirements for avoiding section 232 duties.

The steel proclamation implemented a melt and pour requirement for imports of steel articles that are products of Mexico. It also increases the section 232 duty rate for imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles that are products of Mexico that are melted and poured in a country other than Mexico, Canada, or the United States. If the country of melt and pour is any country other than the U.S., Mexico, or Canada, then the steel articles are subject to an additional 25%.

Effective November 21, 2024, importers are required to report to CBP the country of melt and pour for certain imported steel articles from all countries; and for imported derivative steel articles that are products of Mexico; regardless of whether Section 232 duty treatment, quota treatment, or an exception treatment applies.

CBP Guidance on Steel

The new guidance provides information on codes for reporting the country of smelt, certificates to be submitted via the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), and advises importers on changes that have been made in ACE.

Reporting Codes & Certificates

The guidance states […]

By |2024-11-08T15:16:10-05:00November 8, 2024|Countries, Mexico, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)|0 Comments
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Census Proposes Changes to Foreign Trade Regulations Filing Requirements

The Bureau of the Census published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking making several clarifications to its Foreign Trade Regulations.

Background – The Census Bureau’s Role in Trade Enforcement           

The U.S. Census Bureau’s mission is to serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. As part of this mission, the Bureau is responsible for collecting, compiling, and publishing import and export trade statistics for the United States.

To facilitate the collection of these statistics, the Bureau has promulgated Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR) which require certain exporters to file export information with the Bureau. The regulations detail requirements for filing export information, explain filing procedures, and establish penalties for noncompliance. The regulations require export information to be filed on the Automated Export System (AES). The information submitted by exporters to AES is known as Electronic Export Information (EEI).

EEI filings are required for a wide variety of circumstances, including:

  • Exports that require an export license under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
  • Exports containing personal or household goods valued over $2,500 to a foreign destination, other than Canada
  • Exports on the EAR’s Commerce Control List (CCL) and destined for China, Russia, or Venezuela
  • Exports subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
  • Exports containing rough diamonds

Proposed Clarifications

In recent years, the Census Bureau has experienced an increase in the number of inquiries regarding export transactions where a customs broker facilitates the entry of goods into the U.S. and the goods are then stored in a facility or admitted […]

By |2024-11-01T13:07:26-04:00November 1, 2024|U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)|0 Comments
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BIS Issues Guidance to Financial Institutions on Best Practices for Compliance with the Export Administration Regulations

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) recently published guidance for financial institutions containing several recommendations for complying with the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

The guidance provides recommendations on steps financial institutions can take to minimize the likelihood of EAR violations. The recommendations focus on three key areas: due diligence best practices, reviewing transactions for red flags, and real-time screening.

Due Diligence Best Practices

The guidance recommends that financial institutions incorporate EAR related due diligence into their compliance and risk management and compliance processes. Due diligence should be conducted both before onboarding a new customer and as part of regular due diligence thereafter.

Specifically, BIS recommends that financial institutions:

  • Review customers against lists of persons subject to BIS’s end-user restrictions
  • Review customers – and, where appropriate, customers’ customers – against lists of entities that have shipped Common High Priority List (CHPL) items to Russia since 2023
  • Ask a customer to certify that it has controls in place to comply with the EAR if the customer is engaged in the export, reexport or transfer of items subject to the EAR and is on a restricted-party list
Review Transactions for Red Flags

The guidance recommends that financial institutions review transactions on an ongoing basis for red flags:

  • Purchases under a letter of credit that are consigned to the issuing bank, not to the actual end user.
  • Transactions involving entities with little to no web presence, such as a website or a domain based email account.
  • A customer lacks or refuses to […]
By |2024-10-11T15:11:38-04:00October 11, 2024|Export, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)|0 Comments
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Trade News: New AD/CVD Petition Filed Against Certain Corrosion Resistant Steel Products from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam

A group of steel companies and stakeholders filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping and countervailing (AD/CVD) duties on the imports of certain corrosion resistant steel products (“CORE”) from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. 

Petitioners include: Steel Dynamics, Inc.; Nucor Corporation; United States Steel Corporation; Wheeling-Nippon Steel, Inc.; and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.

Petitioners allege that these unfairly traded imports have materially injured the U.S. domestic industry and threaten to cause further material injury if remedial action is not taken

Full list of exporters. Full list of importers.

Background on AD/CVD Investigations

Antidumping duty (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) investigations are brought jointly by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“USITC”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”). AD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports of particular goods from specific countries being sold at less than a fair value. Meanwhile, CVD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports that are being unfairly subsidized by their governments. 

Scope of the Investigation

This investigation pertains to certain corrosion resistant steel products. The products covered include certain flat-rolled steel products, either clad, […]

By |2024-09-06T11:28:18-04:00September 6, 2024|AD/CVD, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)|0 Comments
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