The U.S. Department of Commerce has finalized antidumping tariffs for imported tin products used in seafood canning.
The tariffs are largely unchanged from the preliminary rates announced in August 2023, with the department implementing dumping rates of 123 percent for Chinese tin imports, 5 percent for Canadian tin imports, and 7 percent for German tin imports. However, the department also opted to set tariffs on some imported steel from South Korea, despite its preliminary determination to not do so.
“Following the preliminary determinations, Commerce’s investigators completed rigorous, fact-intensive audits of the information companies submitted as part of the investigations, as required by law,” the department said in a statement. “As part of these audits, one Korean company submitted corrections which resulted in changes to Commerce’s dumping calculations and an affirmative final finding of dumping. Further, following the preliminary determinations and audits, interested parties submitted comments which Commerce evaluated as part of its quasi-judicial, transparent process. Accordingly, some of the rates have changed based on consideration of public comment.”
A tariff of nearly 3 percent was set on imported tin from TCC Steel Corp. and all others except KG Dongbu Steel Co., which can still import tin without a tariff.
The department determined that no tariffs were needed for tin imported from the Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The tariff investigation was launched in response to a petition by Ohio-based mining company Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.
The Consumer Brands Association (CBA) praised the department for not adopting the high tariff rates requested in the petition.
“The Department of Commerce’s final duty levels on imports of tin mill steel products largely reject incredulous claims from Cleveland-Cliffs that would have significantly hurt consumers and domestic manufacturing jobs,” CBA President and CEO David Chavern. “While we are disappointed to see any level of suggested duties on tin mill steel from ally countries like Germany, Canada and South Korea, we appreciate Commerce’s determination of no evidence of dumping from the Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The extremely low duties suggested for Germany, Canada, and South Korea differ markedly from the extraordinarily high levels requested by Cleveland-Cliffs, underscoring how the company incorrectly sought unsubstantiated tariffs at the expense of other U.S. manufacturers and consumers.”
The CBA's position is that tariffs on tin mill steel will hurt the canned food market.
“Any tariff on tin mill steel makes it harder for U.S. can and food manufacturers to compete in a global marketplace and will lead to rising consumer prices," CBA Vice President of Campaigns and Special Projects Tom Madrecki told SeafoodSource. "The canned food market globally, including for seafood, depends on reliable, high quality tin mill steel to manufacture safe cans in the sizes and specifications it needs to meet consumer demand. These tariffs would be imposed on types of tin mill steel that the petitioner, Cleveland-Cliffs, doesn’t even make – making it all the more frustrating that these duties are even being considered. Thankfully, the final duties released by Commerce are much lower than those requested by Cleveland-Cliffs. Now, it’s up to the the International Trade Commission to reject the tariffs entirely and Cliffs’ import injury claims.”
Following the department’s investigation and determination, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will make a determination on “whether the domestic industry has been materially harmed or threatened by material injury by the unfairly traded imports.” The tariffs will not go into effect unless the ITC and the department are in agreement.
“When the International Trade Commission meets again in February to vote on this case, we can only hope that it listens to the arguments it heard yesterday during its hearing on these issues,” Chavern said. “We are confident that the facts in this case and market realities point the Commission toward a finding of no injury in this case and a complete dismissal of Cleveland-Cliffs’ misleading claims.”
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock / Fahroni
