Low Penalty for Anti-dumping of India, Turkey Quartz Surfaces

WASHINGTON – The U.S. government found that quartz slabs from India and Turkey sold for below market value, but not by much.

The Commerce Department announced late today that preliminary anti-dumping (AD) tariffs on the two countries will be in the single digits, with some material effectively getting no assessment on market-value sales.

Previously announced countervailing (CV) subsidy-based tariffs will be imposed on material from the two countries, but the combined rates will be far below the 300%-plus duties assessed on most Chinese quartz surfaces earlier this year.

The actions are the latest developments in an unfair-trade petition filed earlier this year with the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) by U.S. quartz-surface producer Cambria Company LLC on imports from India and Turkey.

In today’s determination, the USITA also rejected requests for “critical circumstances” on AD tariffs on both countries by Cambria.

The requests would’ve assessed tariffs on quartz surfaces imported up to 90 days before the USITA action to cover heightened shipments attempting to beat the new duties. The USITA previously turned down the same set of requests with CV tariffs for Indian and Turkish quartz surfaces.

Here’s how the rates break down, as of today:

INDIA

AD tariff rates of 5.05% for companies associated with Antique Marbonite; 2.62% for Pokarna Engineered Stone Ltd. (Quantra products); and 3.13% for all other Indian companies in a countrywide category. However, effective tariffs – the cash deposits required at U.S. ports-of-entry – will be zero for Pokarna and the countrywide category, because of adjustments for subsidy offsets.

CV tariff rates of 1.57% for Antique Marbonite companies; 83.79% for all other Indian producers, including Pokarna.

Full preliminary tariffs on quartz surfaces from India: 6.62% for Antique Marbonite companies, 83.79% for all others.

TURKEY

AD tariff rates of zero for Ermas Madencilik; 4.88% for all other companies. Effective rates will 4.86% due to subsidy offsets.

CV tariff rates of 3.81% for all producers.

Full preliminary tariffs on quartz surfaces from Turkey: 3.81% for Ermas Madencilik; 8.67% for all others.

The USITA will make final recommendations on Indian and Turkish quartz-surface tariffs early next year. The USITC, an independent federal agency, will then rule on finalizing the tariffs.