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April 23, 2018 | by Kerrie Rushton

Commerce Department Announced Preliminary Countervailing Duties On Chinese Alloy Aluminum Sheet

On Tuesday, April 17, the U.S. Commerce Department announced that it will impose preliminary countervailing duties of between 31 and 113 percent on imports of Chinese alloy aluminum sheet.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said, “The department self-initiated this case to defend the domestic aluminum industry from unfair Chinese trade practices … Today’s preliminary decision allows U.S. producers to receive relief from the market-distorting effects of potential government subsidies while we continue our investigation.” The United States imported approximately $600 million in alloy aluminum sheet from China in 2016. The Commerce Department will make a preliminary antidumping duty determination in this case by June 12, 2018 and then will make final determinations on both matters by the end of August, with the U.S. International Trade Commission due to make a final injury determination by October 15. 

Click here for more information about the Commerce Department’s decision. As Politico’s “Morning Trade” reported, the case marks the first time in more than 25 years that the United States has imposed duties as a result of a self-initiated trade investigation.

The Trump administration has promised “more trade remedy cases initiated by the government as opposed to being petitioned by private industries.” Also last week: the Commerce Department initiated an antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations of imports of certain steel wheels from China. Click here to learn more. 

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