On August 7, 2020, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that Canada will be imposing retaliatory tariffs on $2.7 billion worth of U.S. imports in response to President Trump’s decision to re-implement a 10% ad valorem tariff on non-alloyed unwrought aluminum from Canada (HTS subheading 7601.10). During a news conference Freeland stated, “We will
U.S. Re-Imposes 10% Tariff on Specific Aluminum Imports from Canada
On August 6, 2020, the White House issued a proclamation stating that the U.S. would re-impose 10% tariffs on imports of non-alloyed unwrought aluminum under subheading 7601.10 from Canada starting August 16, 2020. The subject products make up the majority of U.S. aluminum imports from Canada.
President Donald Trump explained that the re-imposition of tariffs
Commerce Commences Section 232 Investigation on Imports of Vanadium
The Commerce Department announced on June 2, 2020, that it is starting another Section 232 investigation that could result in the imposition of tariffs or potentially other restrictions on imports of vanadium. The agency stated that it will review and determine “whether the present quantities or circumstances of vanadium imports into the United States threaten
BIS Announces the Opportunity to Submit Comments on the Section 232 Investigation on Imports of Mobile Cranes
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a Federal Register notice on May 26, 2020, inviting comments from interested parties on BIS’s Section 232 national security investigation on imports of mobile cranes. Comments on the mobile cranes investigation may be submitted on or before July 10, 2020 and rebuttal comments
BIS Announces the Opportunity to Submit Comments in the Section 232 Investigation on Imports of Steel for Electrical Transformers
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued a Federal Register Notice on May, 19, 2020, inviting comments from interested parties on its investigation regarding the potential expansion of Section 232 tariffs to include imports of steel incorporated into electrical transformers. Comments on the investigation may be submitted on or before June
Commerce Announces New Section 232 Investigation on Imports of Mobile Cranes
On May 6, 2020, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Commerce will initiate an investigation to examine whether imports of mobile cranes were threatening to impair the national security. Commerce will conduct an examination into both the quantities or circumstances of mobile crane imports.
Section 232 investigations are conducted under Section 232
Commerce to Investigate Expansion of Section 232 Tariffs on Steel to Include Imports of Electrical Transformer Steel
On Monday May 4, 2020, the Department of Commerce issued a news release announcing the start of a Section 232 investigation on imports of “Laminations and Wound Cores for Incorporation Into Transformers, Electrical Transformers, and Transformer Regulators.” This investigation is effectively an examination of whether or not to expand the current Section 232 tariffs on
CBP Issues Guidance Update on Section 232 and Section 301 Exclusion Refunds
On May 1, 2020 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published an update to their previous guidance on Section 232 product exclusions granted by the Department of Commerce (DOC) and Section 301 product exclusions granted by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The CBP message stated that these exclusions may be retroactive for unliquidated entries
Commerce Department Proposes New Aluminum Import Licensing System
On April 29, 2020, the Commerce Department (“Commerce”) published a notice in Federal Register announcing that it is proposing new regulations that would establish an Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis System. The program appears to be modeled after the Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (“SIMA”) System which has been in place since 2005. Under the
EU Prepares Retaliation against U.S. over Expansion of Section 232 Tariffs
In retaliation for the United States’ expansion of Section 232 tariffs in February to cover steel and aluminum derivative articles, the European Union (“EU”) will hit certain U.S.-origin imports with additional tariffs. Duties of 20 percent for lighters and 7 percent for plastic furniture fittings will apply starting May 8, 2020. An additional 4.4 percent