A petition filed April 17 alleges that quartz surface products from China are being sold at less than fair value in the U.S. market and benefiting from countervailable subsidies. The alleged average dumping margin is 455.65 percent.
Quartz surface products are extremely hard and durable compared to other surface materials and are also resistant to scratching and staining. They are used in a variety of applications such as countertops, tiles, bar surfaces, shower and tub surrounds, fireplace surrounds, walls, floors, and bathroom vanities and other furniture surfaces.
The petition covers slabs and other surfaces created from a mixture of materials that includes predominately silica (e.g., quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite) as well as a resin binder (e.g., an unsaturated polyester). The incorporation of other materials, including pigments, cement, or other additives, does not remove the merchandise from the scope. The petition covers products of all sizes, thicknesses, and shapes, regardless of the type of surface finish, and whether polished or unpolished, cut or uncut, fabricated or not fabricated, cured or uncured, edged or not edged, finished or unfinished, thermoformed or not thermoformed, further processed or not further processed, packaged or unpackaged.
In addition, quartz surface products are covered by this petition whether or not they are imported attached to or in conjunction with non-subject items such as sinks, sink bowls, vanities, cabinets, and furniture.
Subject goods include material matching the above description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise fabricated or further processed in a third country, including by cutting, polishing, curing, edging, thermoforming, attaching to or packaging with another product, or any other finishing, packaging, fabrication, or further processing that would not otherwise remove the good from the scope if performed in the country of manufacture of the quartz surface products.
Products covered by the petition are currently classified under HTSUS 6810.99.0010 and may also enter under subheadings 6802.91, 6802.93, 6810.11.0010, 6810.11.0070, 6810.19.1200, 6810.19.1400, 6810.19.5000, 6810.91.0000, 6810.99.0080, 6815.91.0070, 2506.10.0010, 2506.10.0050, 2506.10.2000, 2506.20.0010, 2506.20.0080, 2506.20.9000, 2515.11.0000, 2516.12.0000, 2515.12.1000, 2515.12.2000, 2515.12.9000, 2516.11.0000, 2516.12.0000, 2516.20.1000, 2517.41.0000, and 2529.10.0000.
Excluded from the scope of the petition are quarried stone slabs such as granite, marble, soapstone, or quartzite.
The Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission will next determine whether to launch AD/CV duty and injury investigations, respectively, on this product. There are strict statutory deadlines associated with these proceedings, so affected companies that wish to protect their interests should contact trade counsel as soon as possible.
For more information contact Kristen Smith at (202) 730-4965 or David Craven at (312) 279-2844.