The U.S. and China are edging closer to a negotiated settlement in a high-profile solar dispute years in the making, but the details of an agreement and expected industry reception remain largely unclear, industry attorneys said in recent interviews. The Chinese government on Aug. 15 told the Commerce Department it is “interested” in an agreement that would suspend the U.S. antidumping investigation currently underway. Commerce Department officials preliminarily determined in late July Chinese and Taiwanese exporters dumped crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) products into the U.S. market (see 14073011). Commerce is scheduled to make a final determination in December.

The Commerce Department is amending the final results of an administrative review on seamless refined copper pipe and tube from China (A-570-964) in order to slightly decrease the antidumping duty rate it assigned to Golden Dragon in April. Commerce says it made a technical error when it calculated Golden Dragon’s AD duty rate in the final results (see 14042510). Correcting that error drops Golden Dragon’s rate to 4.48% (from 4.5%). Commerce says it still intends to assess AD duties on importers of subject merchandise from Golden Dragon entered Nov. 1, 2011 through Oct. 31, 2012 at importer-specific rates. The change in Golden Dragon’s AD duty cash deposit rate is effective April 28, said Commerce.

The Commerce Department issued the final results of its countervailing duty administrative review on multilayered wood flooring from China (C-570-971). The agency calculated new rates for 90 Chinese exporters. These final results will be used to set final assessments of CV duties on importers for entries between April 6, 2011 and Dec. 31, 2011. New CV duty cash deposit rates set in this review will take effect Aug. 4.

The Commerce Department made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China (A-570-010) and Taiwan (A-583-853) are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. As a result, Commerce will impose AD duty cash deposit requirements on shipments of subject merchandise from the two countries entered on or after July 31. Commerce also set certification requirements for some importers claiming their product is not subject to duties.

The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on hand trucks and parts thereof from China (A-570-891). Commerce calculated a zero percent AD duty rate for New-Tec Integration (Xiamen) Co., Ltd., and found the only other company under review, Yangjiang Shunhe Industrial Co., Ltd., did not have any reviewable shipments to the U.S. during the relevant period.

The automation of the bond application and approval process would likely limit the risk of litigation with CBP and aid the agency in collecting bonds on unpaid antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD), said government officials at a July 16 Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing held on trade enforcement. The U.S. government is owed an estimated $2.3 billion in unpaid duties, accumulated over more than 20 years, said Rich DiNucci, Acting Assistant Commissioner for the CBP Office of International Trade, at the hearing. Nearly half of that figure has been protested at some point during that time period, and CBP denied 84 percent of those protests, DiNucci added.

The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on polyethylene film, sheet and strip from China (A-570-934). These final results will be used to set assessments of AD duties on importers for entries between Nov. 1, 2011 and Oct. 31, 2012. New AD duty cash deposit rates set in this review will take effect July 2.

The Commerce Department is amending the final results of its antidumping duty administrative review on frozen fish fillets from Vietnam (A-552-801). The agency dropped the AD rate it set for Vinh Hoan to zero percent, which means AD duties will not be assessed on entries from Vinh Hoan during the period under review, and subject merchandise from the company will not be subject to cash deposit requirements until further notice. But as a result of the change, Commerce raised AD rates for 23 other companies from $0.42/kg to $1.20/kg. These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD duties on importers for entries between Aug. 1, 2011 and July 31, 2012. Amended AD duty cash deposit rates will take retroactive effect April 7.

The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on diamond sawblades and parts thereof from China (A-570-831). These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD duties on importers for entries between Nov. 1, 2011 and Oct. 31, 2012. New AD duty cash deposit rates set in this review will take effect June 30.

The Commerce Department issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on diamond sawblades and parts thereof from China (A-570-900). These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD duties on importers for entries between Nov. 1, 2011 and Oct. 31, 2012. New AD duty cash deposit rates set in this review will take effect June 24.