U.S. commerce department decided to impose countervailing duties (CVD) on imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China accusing the country of subsidizing those products. In a statement released on the commerce department website, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has confirmed the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation, finding that exporters of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China received countervailable subsidies ranging from 8.66 percent to 102.31 percent. According to the statement, the U.S. commerce department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency to collect cash deposits from importers of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China.
In 2016, imports of tool chests and cabinets from China were valued at an estimated $8.6 million.
Mr. Ross said, “The Trump Administration will not sit back and watch as American companies and workers are harmed by unfair government subsidies….The United States is committed to free, fair and reciprocal trade, and will continue to validate the information provided to us that brought us to this decision.”
Since becoming President, Trump has instructed his team to take up the issue of trade balance and dumping of foreign products seriously. From January 20, 2017, through December 11, 2017, Commerce has initiated 79 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations; a 52 percent increase over the previous year. CVD laws provide U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair subsidization of imports into the United States. The Commerce Department currently maintains 407 antidumping and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade. President Trump has also initiated an investigation into China’s IPO laws that lead to the theft of United States’ intellectual properties.
