The US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced Friday its affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of steel wheels from China.
In the AD investigation, the DOC assigned a dumping rate of 231.70 percent to the China-wide entity based entirely on adverse facts available. No companies demonstrated that they were eligible for a separate rate.
In the CVD investigation, the DOC assigned a CVD rate of 457.10 percent to mandatory respondent Xiamen Sunrise Wheel Group Co., Ltd. (Xiamen Sunrise) and mandatory respondent Zhejiang Jingu Company Limited and Shanghai Yata Industry Company Limited (Zhejiang Jingu) based on total adverse facts available. The final subsidy rate for all other Chinese producers and exporters is 457.10 percent.
In both the AD and CVD investigations, the domestic interested parties alleged critical circumstances with regard to imports of steel wheels from China. In the AD investigation, the DOC found that critical circumstances exist for the China-wide entity (including Xiamen Sunrise and Zhejiang Jingu) due to its failure to cooperate.
In the CVD investigation, the DOC found that critical circumstances exist for Xiamen Sunrise and Zhejiang Jingu based on adverse facts available. The DOC found that critical circumstances did not exist for the “all others” companies. Consequently, the DOC will instruct CBP to impose provisional measures retroactively on entries of steel wheels from China, as applicable, effective 90 days prior to publication of the preliminary determination in the Federal Register.
The petitioners are Accuride Corporation (Evansville, IN) and Maxion Wheels Akron LLC (Akron, OH). In 2017, imports of certain steel wheels from China were valued at an estimated $388 million.
Imports of the subject merchandise are currently classified under the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheadings: 8708.70.4530, 8708.70.4560, 8708.70.6030, 8708.70.6060, 8716.90.5045, and 8716.90.5059. Merchandise meeting the scope description may also enter under the following HTSUS subheadings: 4011.20.1015, 4011.20.5020, and 8708.99.4850.
The ITC is scheduled to make its final determinations on or about May 6, 2019. If the ITC makes affirmative final determinations that imports of steel wheels from China materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry, the DOC will issue AD and CVD orders. If the ITC makes negative determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated.