US tariffs on Chinese steel imports could near 500% with the Commerce Department International Trade Administration’s preliminary decision to slap anti-dumping duties of 256% on corrosion-resistant steel – this on top of countervailing duties of 236% imposed in...
US Drops Hint to UK: Better Not Brexit
The UK should expect the US to impose the same tariffs as now apply to China, Brazil and India, should it opt out of the European Union, Michael Froman, the US Trade Representative, told Reuters October 28. British voters will decide before the end of 2017 whether to...
Pacific Alliance Trade Pact Enters into Force
The Pacific Alliance has reached a new milestone in its quest to eliminate barriers to the free flow of goods, capital and labor across the borders of the bloc’s four member nations (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) and so position itself as a hub for Asian-Latin...
Miscellaneous Tariff Bill “Noncontroversial” No More
by Bill Armbruster, blog anchor By definition, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill is “noncontroversial.” Once enacted, the MTB suspends import duties for two to three years on a mixed bag of chemicals and components that aren’t made in the USA but are inputs for US...
SolarWorld Moves to Close Loophole in Anti-Dumping Orders
SolarWorld has petitioned the US International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce to close a loophole in year-old trade remedies – through which, it claims, Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers are dumping under-priced solar panels on the US market. It was...
Into the Sunset
Here’s a fast way to figure current tariffs while they phase out under FTAs by Bill Armbruster, blog anchor Exporters and importers who expect all tariffs to be eliminated once a Free Trade Agreement takes effect may be in for a rude awakening. It turns out that free...
Chinese Tire Tariffs Run Down
Data shows trade diverted from China to suppliers in Korea, Thailand, India Get ready for revved up debate on US tariffs on Chinese tires, set to expire September 26. As we’ve noted before, the US tariffs imposed in 2009 signaled a course change in US trade policy and...
What Brazil Is Buying
Cotton and ethanol leap into Brazil’s top 5 imports from the US by Bill Armbruster, blog anchor China has roared past the US to become Brazil’s top trade partner, but the US is still the top exporter to the Latin American giant, and those exports – plus the US surplus...
Whisky to Flow Freely
And that’s not all as FTAs come into force July 1 Here’s a new take on the classic UK-centric newspaper headline, “Fog in Channel. Continent Cut off.” The BBC reports that “South Korea lifts Scotch whisky import barriers”. True, as far as it goes: Effective today, a...
Made in Korea?
Gearing up to crack down on false claims to FTA tariff treatment The Korea Customs Service (KCS) announced it is proactively starting to prohibit third-party goods from falsely claiming Korean origin. This in expectation that false claims will rise as free trade...