The original title at stoneupdate.com:India Quartz Tariff Could Get Massive Increase
Ali quartz notice -A startling increase from less than 4% to more than 160% is suggested for the majority of manufacturers in the U.S. Commerce Department’s examination of unfair-trade taxes on quartz surfaces from India.
The U.S. International Trade Administration (USITA) has proposed new duties that are an average of revised tariffs for two entities: Pokarna Engineered Stone Limited (PESL), where the duties decreased from 0.33% to 0%, and a group of three Indian companies, where the duties increased from single digits to 323.12%.
51 Indian enterprises who manufacture and/or export quartz surfaces to the United States would be impacted by the proposed 161.51% tariff. These businesses have been paying an average of just over 3% up until now. (A list of those businesses can be found at the bottom of this article.)
The initial unfair-trade tariffs began in June 2020, and the review of the India quartz-surface tariffs is the first step in a required annual process. The duties were levied by the USITC, a different government body, in response to a complaint made by Cambria Company LLC.
The notification was released in the Federal Register, the official journal of the United States government, on July 8 by the USITA, a branch of the Commerce Department. The 51 impacted companies’ imports will “preliminarily” be subject to the increased rate, according to a directive from the USITA.
Since the Register publication, concerned companies have had 30 days to file an appeal against the USITA’s review. The 120-day window, which began on July 8 and ended on November 7, was when the Commerce Department would release a final version of the evaluation and perhaps make the modified tariffs permanent.
The higher charges will be collected as deposits up until the final review decision, with the potential of partial or full refunds if Commerce decides to lower or eliminate the adjusted tariffs.
Due to U.S. laws governing reviews, the duty has increased dramatically from the prior 4%. The procedure asks for looking into businesses that export specific commodities to the US; in this case, the USITA found more than 50 businesses. The USITA chose (as allowed by federal law) to limit the number of firms being evaluated rather than go through the time-consuming and expensive process of thoroughly examining every company.
The USITA requested proposals for businesses to investigate late last summer. The two largest (by value) quartz-surface exporters to the United States, PESL (the company behind Quantra® surfaces) and the Antique Group, a conglomerate of three businesses, were recommended by Arizona Tile and M S International (MSI). An industry association, the Federation of Quartz Surface Industry of India, supported the choice of PESL/Antique.
The USITA should focus on eight to ten of the major enterprises, according to PESL, and fifteen, according to Divyashakiti Granites Ltd. Despite the fact that using just two companies was not against federal statutes, Cambria advised the USITA to choose at least three.
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In late September, the USITA chose the Antique Group and PESL. The examination also includes the other Indian quartz-surface businesses as “non-selected enterprises.”
According to federal tariff legislation, the amended duty must equal the average margin of below-value sales if the enterprises under investigation are dumping goods into the country. With this analysis, PESL revealed an average dumping margin of 0 — that’s right, zero — while the Antique Group measured 323.12%. For all other impacted enterprises, this immediately resulted in a tariff increase to 161.56% (the average between PESL and the Antique Group).
Prior to today, the Federal Register notification made no mention of action against imports of Indian quartz. The additional duty collection, however, appears to also apply to the 51 companies with unliquidated (non-finalized) shipments from December 13, 2019, to May 30, 2021, according to a “draft notification” from the USITA to U.S. Customs and Border Protection dated July 7. (with an exception for entries from June 10-18, 2021).
The Federal Register notice didn’t cite action on Indian quartz imports prior to today. However, a July 7 “draft notice” from the USITA to U.S. Customs and Border Protection would seem to indicate that the new tariff collection could also be in effect for the 51 companies with unliquidated (non-finalized) shipments from Dec. 13, 2019, to May 30, 2021 (with an exception for entries from June 10-18, 2021).
The Federal Register notice is available here: https://joom.ag/qFed
The USITA decision memorandum is here: https://joom.ag/TFed
The USITA calculation on the rates is here: https://joom.ag/nFed
The draft notice to U.S. Customs and Border Protection is here: https://joom.ag/YiCd
List of Companies Not Selected for Individual Examination
Alicante Surfaces Pvt., Ltd.
Antique Granito Shareholders Trust
Argil Ceramic Private Limited
ARO Granite Industries Limited
Asian Granito India Ltd
Baba Super Minerals Pvt. Ltd.
Camrola Quartz Limited
Chaitanya International Minerals LLP
Chariot International Pvt. Ltd.
Colors Of Rainbow
Creative Quartz LLP
Cuarzo
Divyashakti Granites Limited
Esprit Stones Pvt., Ltd.
Globalfair Technologies Pvt.
Glowstone Industries Private Limited
Gupta Marbles
Gyan Chand Lodha
Hi Elite Quartz LLP
Hilltop Stones Pvt., Ltd.
Inani Marbles and Industries Ltd.
International Stones India Private Limited
Jennex Granite Industries
Jessie Kan Granite Inc.
Keros Stone LLP
M.B. Granites Private Ltd.
Mahi Granites Private Limited.
Malbros Marbles & Granites Industries
Marudhar Rocks International Pvt. Ltd.
Mountmine Imp. & Exp. Pvt., Ltd.
P.M. Quartz Surfaces Pvt., Ltd.
Pacific Industries Limited
Pacific Quartz Surfaces LLP
Pangaea Stone International Private Ltd.
Paradigm Granite Pvt., Ltd.
Paradigm Stone India Private Limited
Pelican Quartz Stone
Quartzkraft LLP
Rocks Forever
Rose Marbles Ltd.
Safayar Ceramics Private Ltd.
Satya Exports
Southern Rocks and Minerals Private Limited
Stone Imp. & Exp. (India) Pvt., Ltd.
Stoneby India LLP
Sunex Stones Private Ltd.
Tab India Granites Pvt., Ltd.
Ultima International
Vishwas Ceramic
Vishwas Exp.
Yash Gems