Trade Cases

Commerce Finds Critical Circumstances in Tin Mill Trade Case
Written by Laura Miller
July 26, 2023
The US Department of Commerce this week ruled that critical circumstances exist in part in the trade case investigating illegal subsidies on tin mill products from China, meaning duties may be applied retroactively.
Recall that Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers (USW) union in January filed a trade case seeking countervailing duties for tin- and chromium-coated steel sheet from China, as well as antidumping duties on a handful of countries.
Commerce this week preliminarily ruled that critical circumstances exist for just one Chinese company – Baoshan Iron. The company has failed to cooperate with Commerce, according to a Federal Register filing.
‘Critical circumstances’ exist when there are “massive imports” over a “relatively short period” of time, according to Commerce’s rules. An increase of 15% or more in imports from a base period is considered “massive.”
In this case, Commerce considered the four months immediately preceding and the four months following the filing of the original petition in January. When comparing the base period of November 2022 through January 2023, the agency found a 23.6% increase in the subject imports from February through April 2023.
If Commerce makes the same affirmative critical circumstances finding in its final ruling, scheduled for Oct. 30, CVDs will be applied against, and cash deposits will be required on, imports from Baoshan beginning on March 28, 2023. That’s 90 days before Commerce’s preliminary determination.
In that preliminary decision, Commerce determined countervailable subsidy rates of 542.55% for Baoshan, and 89.02% for Jingtang, and all other Chinese companies.
Imports of Chinese tin mill products have been subject to those CVDs since Commerce’s initial ruling in June.
By Laura Miller, laura@steelmarketupdate.com

Laura Miller
Read more from Laura MillerLatest in Trade Cases

Tariff fallout: Canada strikes back, Stellantis idles, GM boosts production
Canada imposes auto tariffs, while automaker Stellantis temporarily idles some plants.

Commerce tags UAE with ‘critical circumstances’ in CORE trade case, South Africa spared
The Commerce Department has made a preliminary determination that ‘critical circumstances’ exist for certain imports of corrosion-resistant (CORE) flat-rolled steel from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Commerce decided that critical circumstances did not apply to CORE from South Africa. The department also found that critical circumstances did not apply to CORE from UAE producers Al-Ghurair Iron & Steel LLC and United Iron & Steel Company LLC.

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ brings 10% baseline tariffs; steel, aluminum, and autos/parts excluded
President Trump’s promised “Liberation Day” has arrived, with a 10% minimum tariff on imports. But there are some very important exceptions: The United States’ USMCA partners, Canada and Mexico, are excluded from the reciprocal tariffs for now. In addition, steel, aluminum, as well as autos and auto parts are excluded from the reciprocal tariffs. That’s […]

Price on Trade: Auto tariffs, auto parts, and Hyundai – a world of rapid changes
Trump's new auto tariffs will apply to passenger vehicles (including sedans, sport utility vehicles, crossover utility vehicles, minivans, and cargo vans), light trucks, and certain automobile parts (including engines and engine parts, transmissions and powertrain parts, and electrical components).

CRU: Canacero urges Mexico-US partnership to fend off Asian steel imports
Victor Cairo, head of Mexico’s steel sector body Canacero and CEO of ArcelorMittal Mexico, says he is confident negotiations between the Mexican and US governments planned for April 2 will lead to the creation of a regional block to substitute imports, especially from Asia.