China this week announced antidumping duties on more types of optical fiber imports from the U.S. after launching an investigation in March to determine whether American companies were evading tariffs on certain optical fibers (see 2503060062). The new AD will apply to "non-dispersion-shifted single-mode optical fibers" from the U.S., China's Ministry of Commerce said Sept. 3, according to an unofficial translation. The duties will range from 33.3% to 78.2% beginning Sept. 4 and remain in place through April 21, 2028.
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.
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.
A dispute panel at the World Trade Organization on Aug. 22 found that the European Commission violated its WTO commitments in imposing countervailing duties on biodiesel from Indonesia. The panel found that the commission erred in finding that the Indonesian government provides a countervailable subsidy to biodiesel producers via the provision of crude palm oil and in concluding that Indonesian biodiesel imports "cause a threat of material injury to EU biodiesel producers."
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.
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.
China will impose a preliminary 75.8% antidumping duty on imports of Canadian canola seed effective Aug. 14, the Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry said its investigation revealed that China's domestic rapeseed industry "suffered substantial damage" from dumped Canadian rapeseed exports.