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USITC Votes to Continue Investigations of Quartz Surface Products from India and Turkey - U.S. International Trade Commission

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of quartz surface products from India and Turkey that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.

Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Irving A. Williamson, Meredith M. Broadbent, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Jason E. Kearns voted in the affirmative. 

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue with its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations concerning imports of this product from India and Turkey, with its preliminary countervailing duty determinations due on or about August 1, 2019, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on or about October 15, 2019.

The Commission’s public report Quartz Surface Products from India and Turkey (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-624-625 and 731-TA-1450-1451 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 4919, July 2019) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

The report will be available after July 22, 2019; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at:  https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

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UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436
FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Quartz Surface Products from India and Turkey
Investigation Nos. 701-TA-624-625 and 731-TA-1450-1451 (Preliminary)

Product Description:  Quartz surface products consist of slabs and other surfaces created from a mixture of materials that includes predominately silica (e.g., quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite), resin binder (e.g., an unsaturated polyester), and other materials, including, but not limited to, pigments, cement, or other additives. In addition to slabs, the scope of these investigations includes, but is not limited to, other surfaces such as countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, bar tops, work tops, tabletops, flooring, wall facing, shower surrounds, fire place surrounds, mantels, and tiles. Quartz surface products are covered by these investigations whether or not polished, cut, fabricated, cured, edged, finished, thermalformed, packaged, and regardless of the type of surface finish.

Status of Proceedings:

  1.   Type of investigation:  Preliminary phase antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations.
    2.   Petitioners:  Cambria Company LLC, Le Seuer, MN.
    3.   USITC Institution Date:  Wednesday, May 8, 2019.
    4.   USITC Conference Date:  Wednesday, May 29, 2019.
    5.   USITC Vote Date:  Monday, June 24, 2019.
    6.   USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Monday, June 24, 2019.

U.S. Industry in 2018:

  1.   Number of U.S. producers:  6.[1]
    2.   Location of producers’ plants:  Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, and Tennessee.1
    3.   Production and related workers: [2]
    4.   U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments: 2
    5.   Apparent U.S. consumption: 2
    6.   Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption: 2

U.S. Imports in 2018:

  1.   Subject imports: 2
    2.   Nonsubject imports: 2
    3.   Leading import sources:  China, Spain, Israel, India, and Canada.

[1] The information pertains only to quartz slab producers.
[2] Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.


Federal Register Notices:

Commission Vote -- Raw Flexible Magnets from China and Taiwan [6/25/2019] 
Commission Vote -- Steel Nails from China [6/25/2019] 
Commission Vote -- Quartz Surface Products from India and Turkey [6/24/2019] 


CBP Seizes Fur Coats Valued at $76K - U.S Customs & Border Protection

CHAMPLAIN, N.Y.  - U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Champlain Port of Entry seized a shipment of fur coats valued at $76,736.
 
The discovery occurred on June 12, upon inspection of a commercial shipment of 16 fur coats that had arrived from Canada. CBP officers deduced that the furs lacked the required documentation and contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who determined that the fur garments were mink, fox, chinchilla and sable. Thus, resulting in the seizure of all the fur garments by CBP. “The men and women of CBP are responsible for enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations. Enforcing the laws related to the international trade of animals and animal products, is an important part of our mission,” said Champlain Area Port Director Steven Bronson. 
 
The United States is a party to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora which regulates trade in endangered species of wildlife, plants and their products. International trade in species listed by CITES is illegal unless authorized by permit. Items prohibited by CITES include, but are not limited to, articles made from whale teeth, ivory, tortoise shell, reptile, fur skins, coral, and birds.

CBP encourages travelers to plan ahead, declare all goods upon arrival and prior to traveling view travel information at www.cbp.gov for additional information.


Philadelphia CBP Seizes Nearly 4,000 Non-Compliant Tires from China - U.S Customs & Border Protection

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 3,942 tires June 13 that were imported from China for violating National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) standards June 13.

The tires have an assessed value of nearly $140,000.

CBP officers initially inspected the tires May 15. NHTSA confirmed that the tires violated federal motor vehicle safety standards and regulations. The tires lacked markings that convey important safety and use information for consumers, as well as brand identification that can be used in the event of a recall.

The tires, which are described as trailer or mobile home tires, were consigned to a business in Van, Texas, and destined to a business in Butler, Pa.

“Customs and Border Protection places a priority on working with our safety partners, such as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, to intercept commercial goods that pose potentially significant health and safety threats to American consumers,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Field Operations Director in Baltimore. “CBP officers and trade specialists remain vigilant and are committed to reinforcing our nation’s physical, health and economic security through a robust enforcement posture at our international Ports of Entry.”

“Ensuring the safety of the traveling public is NHTSA’s priority. NHTSA works closely with our federal partners to ensure that imported products meet federal safety standards, which are put in place to protect consumers. We urge anyone with information or concern about a potential safety issue involving any tire or vehicle part to report it to NHTSA at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/ or by calling 1-888-327-4236,” said Heidi R. King, NHTSA’s deputy administrator.

NHTSA is the agency responsible for improving safety on our Nation’s roadways. To achieve this goal, NHTSA develops and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which require minimum levels of safety performance for motor vehicles and equipment.

As part of a robust enforcement program in coordination with CBP and other law enforcement partners, NHTSA monitors motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment being imported into the United States to ensure that they comply with all applicable FMVSS.


BEST Team in Baltimore Seizes 333 Pounds of Cocaine in Container of Beach Chairs from China - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements

BALTIMORE – A Border Enforcement Task Force (BEST) team in Baltimore comprised of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 332 pounds of cocaine in the port of Baltimore June 18.

While conducting import trade enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers detected an anomaly during an x-ray scan of a container of beach chairs from China. Officers also observed that the original security seal lock was replaced with another lock. Officers discovered four large black duffel bags inside the container. The bags contained a combined 125 bricks of a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.

The cocaine weighed about 151 kilograms, or about 333 pounds, and has a street value of about $10 million.

The container transited through Panama before arriving in Baltimore. It was destined to an address in Maryland.

No arrests have been made. HSI Baltimore has initiated an investigation.

“Because of the unique authorities and interagency expertise unified through BEST, HSI agents and CBP officers were able to quickly identify and interdict this significant amount of illicit narcotics,” said Cardell T. Morant, HSI Baltimore acting special agent in charge. “We will continue to disrupt any attempt to traffic illicit narcotics that pose a threat to our communities’ physical and economic health.”

“This seizure illustrates the complexities of Customs and Border Protection’s multi-faceted missions, from ensuring that imported goods comply with U.S. trade regulations to interdicting dangerous drugs that harm our communities,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. “CBP officers remain vigilant at our nation’s ports of entry to significantly impact transnational criminal organizations that push dangerously unsafe consumer goods or dangerous drugs.”

CBP officers screen international travelers and cargoes and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.

The primary mission of BEST is to combat emerging and existing Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO) by employing the full range of federal, state, local, tribal and international law enforcement authorities and resources in the fight to identify, investigate, disrupt and dismantle these organizations at every level of operation.

BEST special agents and task force officers investigate a wide range of criminal activity with a nexus to our land and sea borders, to include drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking and smuggling, gangs, money laundering and bulk cash smuggling, child exploitation, maritime smuggling, illicit tunnels and commercial fraud

 
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