Initial Tariffs Declared for India, Turkey Quartz Surfaces
(Note: This article is updated from its original publication with more-detailed information.)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. International Trade Administration (USITA) ordered provisional tariffs Oct. 7 on quartz surfaces from India and Turkey due to countervailing (subsidy) assistance.
The preliminary rates are 3.81% for all Turkish products and 4.32% for most Indian products. Indian producer Antique Marbonite will be assessed 1.57%.
The rates, collected as deposits on Turkish and Indian quartz surfaces, went into effect on Oct. 11 with publication of the USITA’s order in the Federal Register, the official journal of the U.S. government. The action also stops all finalization of customs (suspension of liquidation) on most quartz surfaces from the two countries.
The action came as a result of an unfair-trade petition filed in May by U.S. quartz-surface manufacturer Cambria Company LLC.
The USITA also declared critical circumstances for all Turkish quartz-surface imports and products from all-but-two Indian companies. The ruling means that the countervailing tariffs may be applied retroactively to imports arriving after July 15 (90 days before the Federal Register publication).
While its action dealt with all Turkish products collectively, the USITA made several exceptions in its treatment of Indian quartz surfaces. The rate set for Antique Marbonite products is de minimus, or the lowest tariff the USITA could assess. There’s also no suspension of liquidation for Antique Marbonite products exported by the company and a few specific vendors.
The USITA also ruled that products from Antique Marbonite and Pokarna Engineered Stone (offered under the Quantra brand) aren’t subject to critical circumstances and possible retroactive countervailing tariffs. The agency specifically noted that Pokarna didn’t increase its exports to the United States by 15% or more in the period investigated for the complaint (April 1 of last year through March 31 this year).
The USITA will make a preliminary ruling on anti-dumping actions – selling below market costs – and possible additional tariffs on Indian and Turkish products by Dec. 4. In its complaint, Cambria alleged dumping margins of 344.11% with products from India and 89.38% on Turkish quartz goods.
A final USITA recommendation on countervailing and anti-dumping tariffs will be made in April. The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) will then make a final decision by early June.
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