Aluminum, Solar Panels, and Vietnamese Timber are all effected by Trump Administration Tariffs

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

October 12, 2020

U.S. imposes tariffs on aluminum sheet from 18 countries

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is imposing new tariffs on $1.96 billion worth of aluminum sheet products from 18 countries after determining that the goods were being dumped, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Friday.

The tariffs were being immediately imposed on countries including Germany and Bahrain, even though the department’s determination that there was dumping was preliminary, he told Fox Business Network.

Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey were also affected, he said.

To Read More: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-aluminum/us-imposes-tariffs-on-aluminum-sheet-from-18-countries-idUSKBN26U16A

Trump backs revoking tariff exemption for some solar panel imports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a proclamation underscoring his support for revoking an exclusion from tariffs on some imported double-sided solar panels, and for raising the planned tariff rate to 18% for 2021 from 15%.

Trump said the domestic U.S. industry was starting to increase production and market share of certain solar modules after he imposed tariffs on imports in January 2018, but further steps were needed.

Bifacial panels should not be excluded from the tariffs, Trump said, adding that doing so had limited the overall measures and would likely continue to impair their effectiveness.

“In light of the increased imports of competing products such exclusion entails ... it is necessary to revoke (the) exclusion and to apply the safeguard tariff to bifacial panels,” Trump said in a proclamation released by the White House.

To Read More: https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-trade-solar/trump-backs-revoking-tariff-exemption-for-some-solar-panel-imports-idUSKBN26W02M

Latest USTR Action Casts Doubt on Expanding Vietnam Supply Chains

(JDSUPRA) Our International Trade & Regulatory Group discusses what you can expect from the Trump Administration’s latest Section 301 investigations into Vietnam’s timber trade and currency manipulation.

• Vietnam investigations announced just as suppliers have moved from China to Vietnam

• One investigation alleges Vietnam uses illegally harvested timber

• The other challenges the manipulation of the dong

Last Friday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the initiation of investigations into Vietnam’s import practices and use of illegal timber and undervaluation of its currency under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the same statute that the USTR used to impose tariffs on Chinese products.

USTR then issued two separate initiation notices with more details. Interested parties have until November 12, 2020 to submit written comments. This is the sixth Section 301 proceeding conducted under the Trump Administration,[1] and it occurs while more than 3,400 lawsuits challenging the China Section 301 tariffs are pending at the Court of International Trade.

To Read More: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/latest-ustr-action-casts-doubt-on-17887/

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