The US trade dispute with China might not have spared the kitchen sink, or even kitchen cabinets, as Washington on Thursday announced another round of tariffs.
About US$4.4 billion of wooden cabinets and vanities imported from China face additional duties because they are being dumped in the US market at less than fair value, the US Department of Commerce said.
Chinese exporters would face tariffs of 28.7 percent to 251.6 percent to level the playing field, the department said in a preliminary decision.
The imported cabinets already faced tariffs after the department on Aug. 8 determined that Chinese manufacturers received subsidies from Beijing.
The latest announcement is one in series of cases that the department has pursued against many product lines, usually at the request of US companies claiming to be hurt by imports from China or other trading partners.
However, it is separate from the broader trade dispute in which US President Donald Trump plans to impose taxes on nearly all imports from China.
Based on the dumping rates, US customs agents will begin collecting duties from importers on the cabinets.
However, the funds would be returned if the department reverses its decision or if the US International Trade Commission finds the subsidies did not harm US industry.
The cabinet case was launched in March by a trade group called the American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance and affects companies including Dalian Meisen Woodworking, Ancientree Cabinet and Rizhao Foremost Woodwork Manufacturing.
“I’d say this is a strong result for American manufacturing and American workers,” Tim Brightbill, a trade lawyer from Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, which represents the industry, said by telephone.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
PATENTS: MediaTek Inc said it would not comment on ongoing legal cases, but does not expect the legal action by Huawei to affect its business operations Smartphone integrated chips designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科) on Friday said that a lawsuit filed by Chinese smartphone brand Huawei Technologies Co (華為) over alleged patent infringements would have little impact on its operations. In an announcement posted on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, MediaTek said that it would not comment on an ongoing legal case. However, the company said that Huawei’s legal action would have little impact on its operations. MediaTek’s statement came after China-based PRIP Research said on Thursday that Huawei filed a lawsuit with a Chinese district court claiming that MediaTek infringed on its patents. The infringement mentioned in the lawsuit likely involved
Taipei is today suspending work, classes and its US$2.4 trillion stock market as Typhoon Gaemi approaches Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain. The nation is not conducting securities, currency or fixed income trading, statements from its stock and currency exchanges said. Authorities had yesterday issued a warning that the storm could affect people on land and canceled some ship crossings and domestic flights. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) expects its local chipmaking fabs to maintain normal production, the company said in an e-mailed statement. The main chipmaker for Apple Inc and Nvidia Corp said it has activated routine typhoon alert
GROWTH: TSMC increased its projected revenue growth for this year to more than 25 percent, citing stronger-than-expected demand for AI devices and smartphones The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER, 台灣經濟研究院) yesterday raised its forecast for Taiwan’s GDP growth this year from 3.29 percent to 3.85 percent, as exports and private investment recovered faster than it predicted three months ago. The Taipei-based think tank also expects that Taiwan would see a 8.19 percent increase in exports this year, better than the 7.55 percent it projected in April, as US technology giants spent more money on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and development. “There will be more AI servers going forward, but it remains to be seen if the momentum would extend to personal computers, smartphones and
Catastrophic computer outages caused by a software update from one company have once again exposed the dangers of global technological dependence on a handful of players, experts said on Friday. A flawed update sent out by the little-known security firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc brought airlines, TV stations and myriad other aspects of daily life to a standstill. The outages affected companies or individuals that use CrowdStrike on the Microsoft Inc’s Windows platform. When they applied the update, the incompatible software crashed computers into a frozen state known as the “blue screen of death.” “Today CrowdStrike has become a household name, but not in