Washington, D.C. – The Commerce Department announced on Thursday its preliminary finding that tin mill products from China, Germany and Canada are being unfairly priced and dumped into the U.S. market.
The preliminary duties follow a petition lodged in January to evaluate whether dumped and subsidized imports were hurting American manufacturers and workers. A final determination on the duties is scheduled to be released in January 2024.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul said:
“Importers and industry groups reliant on dumped materials and products opted for a public lobbying campaign with a single goal in mind: to undermine legitimate trade enforcement by distracting the public and policymakers from unfair trade practices of countries from China to even U.S. allies.
“Trade cheating is a threat to workers, the economy, and supply chain security. Other countries’ unfair trade practices are an everyday reality for U.S. manufacturers and their workers and an existential danger to growing factory jobs. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties play a vital role in promoting free and fair trade by enforcing the ground rules for international commerce.
“Today’s announcement is only a preliminary determination by Commerce and important steps remain so Commerce can get the final margins right. It is critical that the fact-based investigation continue and that Commerce conduct a verification process with respect to all eight respondent countries. Commerce should use all tools provided by Congress if countries refuse to provide accurate, verifiable data.
“Trade enforcement is critical to ensure American workers and manufacturers can compete globally, but our existing laws have gaps. That is why passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Leveling the Playing Field Act 2.0 is a good place to start.”
Background:
- United States anti-dumping (AD)/countervailing duties (CVD) laws allow the U.S. to level the playing field when it is determined foreign companies are using unfair trade tactics to seize market share.
- Congress delegated trade remedy responsibilities to the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission (ITC) with the intent that a fair judgment be made free from political influence. Yet, certain groups are attempting to establish a dangerous precedent whereby any importer or industry group that disagrees with potential outcomes of America’s independent, fact-based trade enforcement process could seek to short-circuit the outcome by arguing it would not be in the “public interest.”
- Only after both Commerce and the ITC make preliminary and final determinations as to the extent of dumping or subsidies and whether injury has occurred are AD/CVD duties applied to subject imports.
- The bipartisan and bicameral Leveling the Playing Field Act 2.0 would address loopholes and circumvention tactics used by China and other serial trade cheats.