by Web Editor | Apr 23, 2018 | News
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will not launch a new investigation into plywood imports from China for the time being. With this decision, the DOC dismissed a petition filed by four U.S. plywood producers on 15 February.
In the petition, the plaintiffs called for more far-reaching reviews to complement the investigation completed at the end of 2017. Specifically, they aimed to expand the subject of the probe into plywood made with softwood veneer faces. The companies report that a variety of Chinese plywood manufacturers have started to switch outer faces with softwood veneers in response to punitive duties imposed on hardwood plywood products at the start of the year.
Section 781c of the U.S. Tariff Act of 1930 allows the investigation to be expanded as long as the new object of the investigation only varies slightly from the grades covered to date. The probes conducted to date addressed laminated and unlaminated plywood with two or more layers whose top face solely consists of hardwood veneers or bamboo. Against this backdrop, the DOC feels that plywood with softwood outer faces cannot be seen as a minor product change to the object of the investigation.
From EUWID: https://www.euwid-wood-products.com/news/wood-based-panels/single/Artikel/us-no-new-investigation-into-plywood-imports-from-china.html
by Web Editor | Apr 19, 2017 | News
The American Alliance for Hardwood Plywood expressed disappointment in the April 18 announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce about imposing preliminary countervailing duties of 9.89 percent on Chinese exporters of hardwood plywood.
Commerce separately applied a penalty margin of 111.09 percent to one Chinese company that did not fully cooperate with the investigation as well as companies that did not return the quantity and value questionnaire, possibly because they do not export plywood.
“The federal government has tied one arm behind the backs of the U.S. cabinetmakers and other manufacturing industries by denying them a level playing field in raw material sourcing with their offshore competitors,” said AAHP chairman Greg Simon in a statement.
“This case is presented as cracking down on Chinese trade ‘cheating’ and protecting American jobs but it will benefit nobody in the United States. The cabinet industry, flooring, recreational vehicle and furniture industries use the Chinese plywood for different purposes than the U.S. plywood. The petitioners’ dreams that they will enjoy sales increases are a fantasy, even with these high duties. The government should not be in the business of trying to pick winners and losers. In fact, in these trade cases, nobody wins.”
In 2012-13 DOC also announced combined antidumping and countervailing duties of nearly 150 percent, but ITC threw the case out after a full investigation. That ruling was later affirmed by a federal judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/aahp-critical-new-duties-chinese-hardwood-plywood?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
