U.S. International Trade Commission Extends Trade Relief on Diamond Sawblades from China

March 15, 2021

Washington, DC — Today, U.S. producers of diamond sawblades won an important victory at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which voted to extend relief from dumped diamond sawblades from China. In an expedited decision, the ITC found that revoking the existing antidumping order “would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.” Over the course of this review, members of the domestic industry provided evidence that removing the antidumping order would lead to continued injury to U.S. companies and their workers.

“We are extremely pleased with the ITC’s decision to continue the order, which holds Chinese producers accountable for their unfair trade practices,” said Daniel B. Pickard, a partner in Wiley’s International Trade and National Security practices and counsel to the Diamond Sawblades Manufacturers’ Coalition (DSMC). The DSMC is an ad-hoc coalition of U.S. manufacturers that petitioned for relief from unfair imports.

There is a long and well documented history of Chinese diamond sawblade producers engaging in transhipment, circumvention, and other illegal schemes in order to evade U.S. customs laws. These efforts have only increased in recent years, as the DSMC has successfully presented arguments to the U.S. Department of Commerce that have resulted in substantial dumping margins being applied to essentially all Chinese exporters. These actions have underscored the unwillingness and inability of Chinese exporters to compete fairly in the U.S. market.

“The diamond sawblades case may represent one of the most egregious examples of Chinese producers attempting to unlawfully undermine the effectiveness of U.S. trade remedy actions,” Mr. Pickard added. “Today’s decision will allow U.S. producers to produce more American diamond sawblades and hire more American workers and sends a message that the domestic industry will not tolerate unfair competition.”

For more information, please contact Stephanie M. Bell at (202) 719-4348 or sbell@wiley.law.