US DOC issues affirmative preliminary antidumping duty determinations on common alloy aluminum sheet from 18 countries

Oct 09, 2020

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of common alloy aluminum sheet (CAAS) from Bahrain, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and Turkey. This follows recent preliminary affirmative countervailing duty (CVD) determinations for imports of CAAS from Bahrain, Brazil, India, and Turkey.

“The Department’s aluminum sheet investigations constitute the broadest U.S. trade enforcement action in two decades,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “We look forward to receiving parties’ comments on the preliminary determinations that aluminum sheet imports from 18 countries have been dumped, and in some cases unfairly subsidized, into the U.S. market.”

Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters have dumped common alloy aluminum sheet in the United States at the following rates:
As a result of these decisions, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of common alloy aluminum sheet from the above-named countries based on the preliminary rates noted above.

4.21 percent for Bahrain
49.48 percent to 136.78 percent for Brazil
3.22 percent for Croatia
10.42 percent for Egypt
51.18 percent to 352.71 percent for Germany
2.72 percent for Greece
0 percent to 47.92 percent for India
32.12 percent for Indonesia
0.00 percent to 29.13 percent for Italy
3.53 percent for Oman
12.51 percent to 83.94 percent for Romania
11.24 percent to 25.84 percent for Serbia
4.80 percent for Slovenia
8.98 percent for South Africa
5.04 percent for South Korea
3.75 percent to 23.32 percent for Spain
18.02 percent for Taiwan
12.71 percent to 12.90 percent for Turkey

The petitioners are the Aluminum Association Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet Trade Enforcement Working Group and its individual members, Aleris Rolled Products, Inc. (Richmond, VA), Arconic, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA), Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, LLC (Ravenswood, WV), JW Aluminum Company (Williamsport, PA), Novelis Corporation (Atlanta, GA), and Texarkana Aluminum, Inc. (Texarkana, TX). Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determinations in these cases on or about February 22, 2021.

If Commerce’s final determinations are affirmative, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about April 5, 2021. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce makes a negative final determination or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury in an investigation, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.

In 2019, U.S. imports of common alloy aluminum sheet were valued at:
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration. Since the beginning of the current administration, Commerce has initiated 286 new AD and CVD investigations, a 267 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.

$241.2 million from Bahrain
$97 million from Brazil
$25.2 million from Croatia
$43.8 million from Egypt
$286.6 million from Germany
$102 million from Greece
$123.3 million from India
$139.2 million from Indonesia
$85.3 million from Italy
$200.2 million from Oman
$29.3 million from Romania
$9.7 million from Serbia
$35.2 million from Slovenia
$119.1 million from South Africa
$121.7 million from South Korea
$57.1 million from Spain
$146.3 million from Taiwan
$122.8 million from Turkey

The antidumping duty law provides American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. The CVD law provides American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair subsidization of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 540 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties. Foreign companies that receive financial assistance from foreign governments that benefits their production of goods, and is limited to specific enterprises or industries, or is contingent either upon export performance or upon the use of domestic goods over imported goods, are subject to CVD duties.

Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based solely on facts submitted to the public record.