Taiwan PRCB: Commerce to Investigate AD Duty Circumvention by Unfinished Bags
The Commerce Department will look into whether imports of unfinished polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCB) are circumventing antidumping duties on PRCB from Taiwan, after receiving a request from domestic industry for an anti-circumvention inquiry. The bags, which are being imported from Taiwan into the U.S., only need their handles die cut and their bottoms sealed to become finished PRCB that would be subject to the order. According to the domestic petitioners, the conversion process required to finish the bags is so minor and insignificant that Commerce should find the unfinished bags subject to the order.
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The unfinished bags being imported from Taiwan are coming in as rolls of unfinished bags. Their surface is printed, and they have oval handles that have not yet been die cut. The sides have been sealed, but not the bottom. According to the domestic industry, the “conversion” process usually includes sealing the sides and bottom, as well as die cutting the handles, in the same step. The only reason a manufacturer wouldn’t do this is to evade imposition of AD duties, the petitioners said.
CBP sent a roll of the bags to Commerce in April. The bags were also the subject of a scope ruling request and a separate anti-circumvention inquiry request in May.
If Commerce preliminarily finds the unfinished bags are circumventing the AD duty order on PRCB from Taiwan, it will tell CBP to suspend liquidation of entries of subject bags. It will also put a cash deposit requirement on unliquidated entries of the unfinished bags beginning on this inquiry’s initiation date.
(Federal Register 07/31/13)