19 U.S.C. § 1673a — Procedures for initiating an antidumping duty investigation

submitted 96 years ago by Pub. L. 96-39 to r/title-19-CUSTOMS-DUTIES · 1,621 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

This section explains how antidumping investigations begin, how petitions are screened, how industry support is measured, and how critical-circumstances information is collected.

(a) The administering authority must begin an investigation when available information shows that a formal inquiry is warranted into whether section 1673's requirements exist. It may monitor imports from an “additional supplier country” for up to one year if more than one order covers the merchandise, there is reason to suspect an extraordinary persistent pattern of injurious dumping, and that pattern creates a serious commercial problem. If enough information appears during monitoring, it must immediately investigate and, when practicable, the authority and Commission must expedite the case. “Additional supplier country” means a country with no pending investigation and no order for the merchandise. (b) An interested party listed in section 1677(9)(C)–(G) may file a petition for an industry that alleges the required elements and includes reasonably available supporting information. The petition may be amended as the authority and Commission allow. A copy must be filed with the Commission the same day. The authority must give the named exporting governments a public version, may not accept unsolicited communications from others before deciding whether to investigate except as specifically allowed or for status inquiries, and neither agency may disclose a draft petition submitted for review before filing. (c)(1) Within 20 days, the authority must decide whether the petition's readily available evidence is accurate and adequate, whether it alleges the required elements and has reasonably available support, and whether it was filed by or for the industry. In exceptional cases requiring a poll, the period may be up to 40 days. If the merchandise was covered by an order or finding revoked, or a suspended investigation terminated, within the previous 24 months, the agencies must expedite the investigation as much as practicable. (2) Affirmative answers require initiation of an investigation. (3) A negative answer requires dismissal, termination, and written reasons to the petitioner. (4) Industry support exists when supporters account for at least 25 percent of total domestic-like-product production and more than 50 percent of production represented by supporters and opponents. The authority disregards opposing domestic producers related to foreign producers unless they show domestic harm, and may disregard domestic producers that import the subject merchandise. For a regional industry, it uses regional production. If support is not established, it may poll the industry or use other information, and with many producers may use a statistically valid sample. Potential interested parties may comment before the initiation decision; support may not be reconsidered afterward. (5) “Domestic producers or workers” means parties eligible to file the petition. (d) The authority must immediately notify the Commission of decisions under (a) or (c), and, after an affirmative decision, share relevant information under confidentiality-protection procedures. (e) After initiation, if there is a reasonable basis to suspect a history of dumping or that the importer knew or should have known of below-fair-value sales, the authority may ask the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect entry volume and value quickly. The Commissioner must send the information at least every 30 days until the final authority decision, termination, or withdrawal of the request.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a) Initiation by administering authority

(1) In general

An antidumping duty investigation shall be initiated whenever the administering authority determines, from information available to it, that a formal investigation is warranted into the question of whether the elements necessary for the imposition of a duty under section 1673 of this title exist.

(2) Cases involving persistent dumping

(A) Monitoring

The administering authority may establish a monitoring program with respect to imports of a class or kind of merchandise from any additional supplier country for a period not to exceed one year if—

(i)

more than one antidumping order is in effect with respect to that class or kind of merchandise;

(ii)

in the judgment of the administering authority there is reason to believe or suspect an extraordinary pattern of persistent injurious dumping from one or more additional supplier countries; and

(iii)

in the judgment of the administering authority this extraordinary pattern is causing a serious commercial problem for the domestic industry.

(B) Initiation of investigation

If during the period of monitoring referred to in subparagraph (A), the administering authority determines that there is sufficient information to initiate a formal investigation under this subsection regarding an additional supplier country, the administering authority shall immediately initiate such an investigation.

For purposes of this paragraph, the term “additional supplier country” means a country regarding which no antidumping investigation is currently pending, and no antidumping duty order is currently in effect, with respect to imports of the class or kind of merchandise covered by subparagraph (A).

(D) Expeditious action

The administering authority and the Commission, to the extent practicable, shall expedite proceedings under this part undertaken as a result of a formal investigation initiated under subparagraph (B).

(b) Initiation by petition

(1) Petition requirements

An antidumping proceeding shall be initiated whenever an interested party described in subparagraph (C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of section 1677(9) of this title files a petition with the administering authority, on behalf of an industry, which alleges the elements necessary for the imposition of the duty imposed by section 1673 of this title, and which is accompanied by information reasonably available to the petitioner supporting those allegations. The petition may be amended at such time, and upon such conditions, as the administering authority and the Commission may permit.

(2) Simultaneous filing with Commission

The petitioner shall file a copy of the petition with the Commission on the same day as it is filed with the administering authority.

(3) Action with respect to petitions

(A) Notification of governments

Upon receipt of a petition filed under paragraph (1), the administering authority shall notify the government of any exporting country named in the petition by delivering a public version of the petition to an appropriate representative of such country.

(B) Acceptance of communications

The administering authority shall not accept any unsolicited oral or written communication from any person other than an interested party described in section 1677(9)(C), (D), (E), (F), or (G) of this title before the administering authority makes its decision whether to initiate an investigation, except as provided in subsection (c)(4)(D), and except for inquiries regarding the status of the administering authority’s consideration of the petition.

The administering authority and the Commission shall not disclose information with regard to any draft petition submitted for review and comment before it is filed under paragraph (1).

(1) In general

(A) Time for initial determination

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), within 20 days after the date on which a petition is filed under subsection (b), the administering authority shall—

(i)

after examining, on the basis of sources readily available to the administering authority, the accuracy and adequacy of the evidence provided in the petition, determine whether the petition alleges the elements necessary for the imposition of a duty under section 1673 of this title and contains information reasonably available to the petitioner supporting the allegations, and

(ii)

determine if the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the industry.

(B) Extension of time

In any case in which the administering authority is required to poll or otherwise determine support for the petition by the industry under paragraph (4)(D), the administering authority may, in exceptional circumstances, apply subparagraph (A) by substituting “a maximum of 40 days” for “20 days”.

If a petition is filed under this section with respect to merchandise that was the subject merchandise of—

(i)

an antidumping duty order or finding that was revoked under section 1675(d) of this title in the 24 months preceding the date the petition is filed, or

(ii)

a suspended investigation that was terminated under section 1675(d) of this title in the 24 months preceding the date the petition is filed,

the administering authority and the Commission shall, to the maximum extent practicable, expedite any investigation initiated under this section with respect to the petition.

(2) Affirmative determinations

If the determinations under clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) are affirmative, the administering authority shall initiate an investigation to determine whether the subject merchandise is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than its fair value.

(3) Negative determinations

If the determination under clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) is negative, the administering authority shall dismiss the petition, terminate the proceeding, and notify the petitioner in writing of the reasons for the determination.

(4) Determination of industry support

(A) General rule

For purposes of this subsection, the administering authority shall determine that the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the industry, if—

(i)

the domestic producers or workers who support the petition account for at least 25 percent of the total production of the domestic like product, and

(ii)

the domestic producers or workers who support the petition account for more than 50 percent of the production of the domestic like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for or opposition to the petition.

(B) Certain positions disregarded

(i) Producers related to foreign producers

In determining industry support under subparagraph (A), the administering authority shall disregard the position of domestic producers who oppose the petition, if such producers are related to foreign producers, as defined in section 1677(4)(B)(ii) of this title, unless such domestic producers demonstrate that their interests as domestic producers would be adversely affected by the imposition of an antidumping duty order.

(ii) Producers who are importers

The administering authority may disregard the position of domestic producers of a domestic like product who are importers of the subject merchandise.

If the petition alleges the industry is a regional industry, the administering authority shall determine whether the petition has been filed by or on behalf of the industry by applying subparagraph (A) on the basis of production in the region.

(D) Polling the industry

If the petition does not establish support of domestic producers or workers accounting for more than 50 percent of the total production of the domestic like product, the administering authority shall—

(i)

poll the industry or rely on other information in order to determine if there is support for the petition as required by subparagraph (A), or

(ii)

if there is a large number of producers in the industry, the administering authority may determine industry support for the petition by using any statistically valid sampling method to poll the industry.

(E) Comments by interested parties

Before the administering authority makes a determination with respect to initiating an investigation, any person who would qualify as an interested party under section 1677(9) of this title if an investigation were initiated, may submit comments or information on the issue of industry support. After the administering authority makes a determination with respect to initiating an investigation, the determination regarding industry support shall not be reconsidered.

(5) “Domestic producers or workers” defined

For purposes of this subsection, the term “domestic producers or workers” means those interested parties who are eligible to file a petition under subsection (b)(1).

(d) Notification to Commission of determination

The administering authority shall—

(1)

notify the Commission immediately of any determination it makes under subsection (a) or (c), and

(2)

if the determination is affirmative, make available to the Commission such information as it may have relating to the matter under investigation, under such procedures as the administering authority and the Commission may establish to prevent disclosure, other than with the consent of the party providing it or under protective order, of any information to which confidential treatment has been given by the administering authority.

(e) Information regarding critical circumstances

If, at any time after the initiation of an investigation under this part, the administering authority finds a reasonable basis to suspect that—

(1)

there is a history of dumping in the United States or elsewhere of the subject merchandise, or

(2)

the person by whom, or for whose account, the merchandise was imported knew, or should have known, that the exporter was selling the subject merchandise at less than its fair value,

the administering authority may request the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to compile information on an expedited basis regarding entries of the subject merchandise. Upon receiving such request, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall collect information regarding the volume and value of entries of the subject merchandise and shall transmit such information to the administering authority at such times as the administering authority shall direct (at least once every 30 days), until a final determination is made under section 1673d(a) of this title, the investigation is terminated, or the administering authority withdraws the request.

Source credit: (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title VII, § 732, as added Pub. L. 96–39, title I, § 101, July 26, 1979, 93 Stat. 162; amended Pub. L. 98–573, title VI, § 609, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 3030; Pub. L. 99–514, title XVIII, § 1886(a)(2), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2921; Pub. L. 100–418, title I, §§ 1324(b)(1), 1326(d)(1), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1200, 1204; Pub. L. 103–465, title II, §§ 211(b), 212(a)(2), 233(a)(5)(P)–(R), (6)(A)(v)–(vii), (C), Dec. 8, 1994, 108 Stat. 4843, 4845, 4900, 4901; Pub. L. 104–295, § 20(b)(4), (8), (9), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3527; Pub. L. 114–125, title VIII, § 802(d)(2), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 210.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1930Enacted · Pub. L. 96-39 · 93 Stat. 162
1984Amended · Pub. L. 98-573 · 98 Stat. 3030
1986Amended · Pub. L. 99-514 · 100 Stat. 2921
1988Amended · Pub. L. 100-418 · 102 Stat. 1200, 1204
1994Amended · Pub. L. 103-465 · 108 Stat. 4843, 4845, 4900, 4901
1996Amended · Pub. L. 104-295 · 110 Stat. 3527
2016Amended · Pub. L. 114-125 · 130 Stat. 210

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 96-39 on 1930-06-17.

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