September ’22 at-a-glance … taxes, tariffs & trade

NAFEM continues to advocate with others for removal of tariffs

The “appliance alliance” wrote Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai affirming support for each other’s comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission. The ITC initiated its investigation into the economic impacts of the Section 232 and 301 tariffs at the direction of Congress and will provide a final report by March 15, 2023. In its comments, NAFEM shared information from members on the lack of critical metal inputs, price increased for these inputs, the difficulty with sourcing adjustment, and more appropriate trade remedies. Other members of the informal alliance include the Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).

Expect final comments in Section 301 CIT refund case by year-end

Final defendant’s comments are due Oct. 28 and final plaintiff’s comments Nov. 14 in the ongoing Section 301 tariff-refund case. The U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) three-judge panel wants to know what criteria the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) used to remove certain products and assign different tariffs rates to items on Lists 3 and 4.