Washington, DC -- Last week, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) issued an affirmative preliminary determination finding that extruded aluminum products made from aluminum previously extruded in China and then exported from Vietnam are circumventing the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on aluminum extrusions from China.
The Aluminum Extrusions Fair Trade Committee filed a request for a circumvention inquiry with Commerce on January 9, 2018, alleging that China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd. and its affiliates are circumventing the orders by shipping Chinese aluminum extrusions to Vietnam to be remelted and made into other aluminum extrusion products before exporting them to the United States to avoid duties. Commerce found that the merchandise covered by the inquiry constitutes merchandise completed or assembled in other foreign countries that are circumventing the AD/CVD orders on Chinese aluminum extrusions.
Commerce made a country-wide ruling, applying its preliminary determination to all merchandise covered by the inquiry, regardless of producer, exporter, or importer. Importers and exporters are required to complete and maintain certifications and supporting documentation demonstrating that their imports of aluminum extrusions completed in Vietnam used aluminum not previously extruded in China in order to be exempt from AD/CVD duties under these orders.
Pursuant to the decision, Commerce is directing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to suspend liquidation of inquiry merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, on or after March 5, 2018, the date of publication of the initiation of the proceeding. Commerce is also instructing CBP to require a cash deposit of estimated duties on all unliquidated entries of inquiry merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after March 5, 2018.
“This is a key victory for the domestic industry,” said Aluminum Extruders Council President Jeff Henderson. “China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd. and other producers have continued to engage in a concerted effort to circumvent the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on aluminum extrusions. This decision is a critical step forward in addressing blatant attempts to evade duties through transshipment and circumvention.”
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The AEC has led the U.S. aluminum extrusion industry in achieving level competition by winning tariff protection that offsets unfair trade practices of extruders/importers of aluminum profiles produced in China. The efforts have been of enormous value to domestic extruders and suppliers. They may have saved the industry. Conservatively, AEC estimates 800 million pounds per year of extrusions are being produced in the U.S. that would have otherwise been lost to China. For more information, visit Fair Trade.
The Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), established in 1950, is an international association dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminum extrusion in North America. AEC is committed to bringing comprehensive information about extrusion's characteristics, applications, environmental benefits, design and technology to users, product designers, engineers and the academic community. Further, AEC is focused on enhancing the ability of its members to meet the emerging demands of the market through sharing knowledge and best practices. Advocacy programs ensure that aluminum extruders, suppliers and their products remain relevant and viable in an ever-changing legislative and regulatory climate. More than 120 member companies represent primary aluminum producers and other industry suppliers in addition to aluminum extruders operating hundreds of extrusion presses in hundreds of plants worldwide. For more information, visit the website at www.aec.org; contact AEC at mail@aec.org.