Trade Cases
HR Critical Circumstances Filed Against Brazil, Australia, Japan & The Netherlands
Written by John Packard
November 3, 2015
On October 23, 2015 attorneys for the domestic steel mills alleged that exports from Brazil, Australia, Japan and the Netherlands surged into the United States in an effort to “…avoid the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties.”
Much like the corrosion resistant case that preceded the hot rolled filing which was originally made in August 2015, the domestic mills allege that the foreign mills knew a case against hot rolled was inevitable. The domestic mills used as the base period the months of March through May 2015 and the comparison period the months of June through August 2015. Based on the analysis provided by the steel mills, hot rolled exports from Australia increased by 81.2 percent, Brazil by 44.5 percent, Japan by 114.1 percent and the Netherlands by 21.8 percent during the comparison period.
For an increase in imports to be considered “massive” the threshold has been defined as +15 percent over the base period according to the US Department of Commerce.
The original trade suits were filed against seven countries: antidumping and countervailing duty investigations were announced on September 1st against Brazil, South Korea and Turkey. Antidumping only investigations on HR were announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce for Australia, the Netherlands, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Of the original 7 countries only 4 have been hit with allegations of critical circumstances.
We anticipate that it will take a number of months for the US DOC to make their preliminary determination on the critical circumstances allegations. They will have to make their announcement prior to the Preliminary Determinations being announced for either antidumping or countervailing duties.
John Packard
Read more from John PackardLatest in Trade Cases
Price on Trade: IEEPA tariffs head to the Supreme Court, DOJ ramps up trade enforcement
International trade law and policy remain a hot topic in Washington and beyond this week. We are paying special attention to the ongoing litigation of the president’s tariff policies and the administration’s efforts to heighten trade enforcement.
Mexico considers stiff tariffs for steel, autos, and other imports
Mexico is considering imposing steep tariffs on imports of steel, automobiles, and over 1,400 other products. Its target? Countries with which it does not have free trade agreements, mainly China, India, Thailand, and other South Asian nations.
Leibowitz: With ‘reciprocal’ tariffs struck down again in court, what happens next?
President Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Policy Act (IEEPA) were struck down again, this time on Aug. 29 by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). The legal and policy mess continues, with the next stop being the US Supreme Court.
Market unfazed by US circuit court’s IEEPA decision
Repealing any reciprocal tariffs placed by President Donald Trump on US imports of direct reduced iron (DRI), iron ore, hot-briquetted iron (HBI), and pig iron would have only a nominal impact on the US steel market, market participants said.
ITC votes to keep HR duties after sunset review
The US government determined this week that hot-rolled steel imports from a handful of countries continue to threaten the domestic steel industry.