Wood Producers Call on Congress to Shed Stricter AD/CVD Provisions in Customs Bill
Antidumping and countervailing duty evasion language in the Senate customs reauthorization legislation would "expose U.S. importers to unpredictable and potentially devastating financial liability," said the International Wood Products Association. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, led the effort to incorporate the AD/CV provision into the customs legislation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Ohio, included the provision in his modified version of the Customs Reauthorization legislation prior to the committee's April 22 markup. The language would make it easier for the Commerce Department to apply penalty “adverse facts available” rates in antidumping investigations. The measure would also require importers to pay cash deposits, instead of bonds, during new shipper reviews, and would penalize importers for failing to provide certificates, such as those pertaining to country of origin (see 1504080013).
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The IWPA called on lawmakers to shoot down the provision as the legislative process continues to unfold. "The Brown language would also penalize importers who certify in good faith that the products they are importing are not covered by the scope of an antidumping or countervailing duty order if Commerce disagrees with the importer and requires it to pay the applicable duty at a later date," the IWPA said.