First Self-Initiation of AD/CV Anti-Circumvention Inquiries Targets Corrosion-Resistant Steel

The U.S. Department of Commerce has self-initiated new inquiries to determine whether imports of corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE) completed in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Malaysia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates using mainland Chinese-origin substrate are circumventing the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on CORE from mainland China. This is the first time the DOC has self-initiated an anti-circumvention inquiry based on its own monitoring of trade patterns. It is also the first self-initiation of multi-country anti-circumvention inquiries.

If the DOC preliminarily determines that circumvention is occurring, it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting AD/CV cash deposits on imports of subject goods from the countries listed above. Duty liability may be imposed on future imports and on any unliquidated entries since the date of initiation of the anti-circumvention inquiries.

The DOC will next solicit information from producers and exporters of the goods under investigation. There will be strict deadlines associated with these proceedings, so companies that wish to protect their interests should contact U.S. counsel as soon as possible.