Skip to main content

It’s Official – Our China Trade Orders Extended!

By

 Earlier this month the Department of Commerce made it official and renewed our anti-dumping/countervailing duties (AD/CVD) orders against China for another five years.  There was little drama in the announcement as we were aware as early as April that the orders were to be extended.  However, it took several months for the process to grind its way to a conclusion.  And frankly, given the reversals we’ve seen from D.C. this year, we could never be too sure!  However, it is good to have that behind us.  I want to thank everyone who contributed data this time.  We had a great turnout and that went a long way to securing the win. 

Since the Sunset Review was essentially concluded earlier this year, it freed up our Fair-Trade budget to continue our work in other areas.  So, this summer we’ve been focusing on the 232, the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) petitions, and growing imports. 

Our excellent Hill Day in Washington, DC, allowed us a chance to take our messages in these hot topics to our lawmakers and key agencies.  Several extruders joined us as we conducted over two dozen meetings during a beautiful Friday in our Nation’s capital.  Our request to have our 232 tariffs reinstated was a major theme.  Feedback from our meetings has been favorable and I have been invited to follow-up meetings at Commerce to discuss this issue.  I cannot predict success at this point, but I can confirm we are being heard.  Our efforts have yielded a bipartisan letter out of the Senate and efforts are underway for one from the House.  As this report is being published, I will have a meeting with the Director of the 232 program for aluminum extrusions.  This is a meeting I have been chasing for months.  Without our efforts in D.C., I’m not sure this would have happened.  Thank you all for your support!

We are still stinging from the inexplicable reversal from U.S. Customs regarding Kingtom.  Our appeals have been filed and we do plan to fight!  We believe we have a solid and persuasive case and look forward to our day in court.  We believe the agencies have fumbled this program and look for the courts to right the ship.  We’ve had good success in the courts on scope challenges.  I will update members once dates are set.

Speaking of courts, our appeal in the Reflections Window and Wall petition is underway.  Oral arguments were heard in September.  We look forward to the court’s ruling later this year or in early 2023.  

Much of our fall Management Conference, and a lot of the chatter amongst U.S. and Canadian extruders, was and is devoted to growing imports.  Seeing little relief from trade violators and ongoing price disadvantages from the lop-sided 232 tariff program, extruders are seeking a remedy.  I am happy to report that analysis is underway, and with your continued contribution of data, we will develop a clear strategy in the coming weeks and months to deal with this problem once and for all.  Stayed tuned for more details.

If we were reminded of anything during our conference and Hill Day, it is that we continue to face growing import pressure AND we can muster a strong voice in D.C. when we work together.  This is exactly what we must do as we go forward, because no one believes the import problem will go away on its own.  Thank you once again for your efforts and continuing support!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Valuation, USMCA, and Fair Trade Priorities

By
 The primary focus of our government affairs work at this moment centers on the Section 232 valuation issue currently under discussion in Washington, D.C.  As highlighted during the recent Aluminum Summit and in prior AEC communications, there remains uncertainty regarding how the Administration intends to resolve this matter. The original Executive Order that established the Section 232 aluminum tariffs made clear that the tariffs were intended to apply to the full value of the imported aluminum extrusion, not solely the value of the aluminum content within the product.  At this time, it remains unclear whether the Administration will seek to address the issue by issuing a new Executive Order or by providing additional interpretive guidance through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  The AEC is actively monitoring these discussions and will update members as soon as a definitive course of action emerges. Parallel to the valuation discussions, attention is tur...
Post a Comment
Read more

Section 232 Updates & Enforcement Expands

By
 The Administration issued another update to the Section 232 steel, aluminum and copper tariff program on June 1.  The program now reaches a growing list of derivative products and downstream imported goods where aluminum content is part of a larger product. The June 1 action modifies several of the 232 product annexes and makes temporary adjustments for certain equipment categories.  According to the White House fact sheet, certain agricultural equipment and other equipment will be adjusted from a 25 percent tariff to a 15 percent tariff.  The action also expands the category of industrial equipment eligible for the temporary 15 percent tariff treatment to include certain mobile industrial equipment, such as bulldozers and forklifts, when imported from trade deal countries eligible for that treatment.  These temporary changes are scheduled to remain in place through December 31, 2027. There were also modifications to the HTS codes covered by the annexes.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Section 232 Update: Focus on Aluminum Derivative Products

By
 Over the past several weeks, we have started to get a clearer picture of how the updated Section 232 framework will impact aluminum, especially when it comes to derivative and finished products tied to the markets our members serve. The most important change is how the tariffs are applied. Covered products are now generally assessed on the full value of the imported product, rather than only the aluminum content. For finished goods, that is a meaningful change in how duty exposure is calculated. Looking at the annex structure, several key extrusion-driven products are now clearly defined. Aluminum windows, doors, and structural components (7610.10.00 and 7610.90.00) fall under Annex I-A and are generally subject to a 50% Section 232 tariff applied to full value. Trailers and aluminum ladders (8716.10.00 and 7616.99.5130) fall under Annex I-B and are generally subject to a 25% Section 232 tariff, also applied to full value. The takeaway is straightforward. Tariff treatment is drive...
Post a Comment
Read more