The Bureau of Industry and Security's decision to remove the China-based factories of Samsung and SK hynix from its Validated End-User List is "selfish" and will hurt global semiconductor supply chains, China's Ministry of Commerce said last week, according to an unofficial translation.
Australia is proposing to eliminate nearly 500 tariffs that it said are a "nuisance" for Australian companies, including duties on tires, televisions, wine glasses, air conditioners and more, the country’s trade ministry said Aug. 28. The country said it’s accepting public comments on the proposed list of tariffs by Dec. 10, and it plans to publish a “full and final list of agreed tariffs for removal” soon after.
Beijing last week criticized a decision by France, Germany and the U.K. to initiate snapback U.N. sanctions against Iran (see 2508280033), saying it will hurt diplomacy with Iran. “Initiating the snapback process at the Security Council is not a constructive move, which will disrupt the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a regular press conference in Beijing Aug. 29. “China believes that current moves by the Security Council should contribute to resuming dialogue and negotiation rather than create new confrontation and lead to deterioration or even escalation of the situation.” The spokesperson said Beijing wants to “play a constructive role in bringing the issue back to the track of diplomatic settlement as early as possible.”
China is renewing its antidumping duties on imports of phenol from the U.S., the EU, South Korea, Japan and Thailand, but it won't renew AD for phenol from the U.K., China’s Ministry of Commerce said Aug. 28, according to an unofficial translation. The duties, which will apply for five years from Aug. 29, range from 244.3% to 287.2% for American companies, are at 30.4% for all EU companies, and range from 12.5% to 23.7% for South Korean companies, from 19.3% to 27% for Japanese companies, and from 10.6% to 28.6% for Thai companies. The ministry said no Chinese company requested that the AD be renewed for the U.K. China said phenol is an “important organic chemical raw material” used in synthetic fibers and for other industrial purposes.
Japan opened an expiry review of the antidumping duty order on dipotassium carbonate from South Korea to review whether to extend the measures, and it's hoping to complete the review in one year. The AD currently in place are applied at a 30.8% rate and cover entries during the taxable period June 24, 2021, to June 23, 2026.
Japan on Aug. 20 opened an antidumping duty investigation on bisphenol A from South Korea and Taiwan, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Finance announced. Bisphenol A is a raw material for plastics, and it's used to make polycarbonate resin and epoxy resin. Japan is hoping to complete the investigation within one year.
The Japanese government will meet with local governments, businesses and industry groups in the Chubu, Kinki and Kyushu-Okinawa regions later this month to discuss U.S. tariffs and the outcome of the trade deal reached between the two countries last month (see 2508080013). Business officials and organizations during these meetings “will hear about the impact of the U.S. tariff measures and how to respond to them, and will also exchange opinions on how to use the U.S. tariffs as an opportunity to create success stories,” Japan’s trade ministry said, according to an unofficial translation. The country plans to speak about the tariffs with local governments and businesses in other regions in September.
China this week extended its countervailing duty investigation on imported dairy from the EU "in view of the complexity of this case," the country's Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry opened the probe last year (see 2408210025) and had hoped to complete it by August, but it's now extending the investigation through February. The EU filed a dispute consultation request on the CVD probe at the World Trade Organization (see 2409250010).
China is launching an expiry review of antidumping duties on single-mode optical fibers imported from India, the Ministry of Commerce said this week, according to an unofficial translation. China said it's maintaining existing duties during the review, which range from 7.4% to 30.6%. The country is accepting public comments for 20 days from Aug. 13 and expects to complete the review within one year.
Japan opened an antidumping duty investigation on hot-dipped galvanized steel coil, sheet and strip from South Korea and China, the ministries of Finance, and Economy, Trade and Industry jointly announced Aug. 13. The investigation will conclude within one year and will look at whether imports of the subject merchandise from South Korea and China injure the Japanese market.