Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials this week moved to collect millions of dollars in unpaid anti-dumping penalties after finding that Chinese companies obscured the source of exports to the United States by shipping them through other countries.
The agency issued 10 decisions under the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA), a year-old law that gives the government additional tools to pursue anti-dumping cases. The agency found substantial evidence that wire hangers were shipped from China through Thailand to evade the duties.
M&B Metal Products Co., the sole American producer of wire hangers, made an additional eight allegations of evasion related to shipments through Malaysia. The agency found reasonable suspicion of the importation wire hangers through evasion, describing a complex and coordinated scheme.
"Combined, these EAPA investigations on wire hangers have resulted in CBP preventing evasion of over $33 million in unpaid antidumping duties annually," acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a prepared statement. "CBP continues to make trade enforcement one of our top priorities, fully utilizing all tools that Congress has provided us, such as EAPA investigative authorities provided for in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. This is a tremendous example of how a strong allegation from the trade enabled CBP to stop evasion and protect American jobs."
After conducting an on-site visit of a Thai manufacturer and reviewing trade data, the agency determined that the importer, Eastern Trading, had imported wire hangers that had been shipped from China through Thailand to evade penalties.
Investigators found no production of wire hangers during any of the eight visits they made to facilities in Malaysia and concluded that there was a reasonable suspicion that the wire hangers had been manufactured elsewhere.
Investigators also determined that there was a reasonable suspicion that a wooden bedroom furniture importer failed to report imports as subject to the anti-dumping order and had, therefore, imported the furniture through evasion.
"In general, the Trump administration has promised better enforcement of our trade laws," said Kevin Kearns, president of the U.S. Business and Industry Council. "This has been a point of contention in the previous two administrations, at least."
Kearns said U.S. trade policy needs a major overhaul in order to adequately confront the challenges facing American manufacturing. But he said more aggressive enforcement of existing laws is a good start.
"Any enforcement is a good thing. Any actions that … would put offending countries and companies on notice is a good thing," he said. "It's a step in the right direction."
Alan Tonelson, an economic policy analyst who favors a more aggressive confrontation with China, said that country's unfair trade practices are well-documented.
Trump Targets China Trade as Frustration Over Help with Korea Mounts President orders investigation into practices that allow theft of U.S. firms' intellectual property "Customs fraud is quite common, especially from China and especially in the furniture industry," he said.
But Tonelson, who writes the RealityChek blog, questioned whether it is the best use of government resources considering there are more pressing trade issues.
"I haven't seen evidence that this is a major problem for U.S. manufacturing overall," he said.
Since the law took effect a year ago this month, Customs and Border Protection officials have initiated 14 investigations and have worked with other agencies and foreign governments to strengthen enforcement.
More to come: " The administration signaled that it was going to begin a probe into the impact of China’s trade rules on U.S. intellectual property on Monday when President Donald Trump signed an order authorizing U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to consider beginning a Section 302 investigation."
Ironically, the chief strategist, who pushed for re-examining the US/China trade agreements, is no longer with the administration
Ironically, the chief strategist, who pushed for re-examining the US/China trade agreements, is no longer with the administration
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Ironically, going after China when we really need their help with N Korea as well.
Ironically, going after China when we really need their help with N Korea as well.
Actually, we are only now going after them - now after they did what they always did on North Korea - gave us a little lip service and then did nothing. In the end, when China concluded Trump might just mean business, that their state run newspaper say that if North Korea struck first, China would stay out of it, but if the US struck first, China would stand with North Korea. After that, Kim backed down saying he would indefinitely postpone any attack on Guam.
Does anyone really expect, after all these decades of diplomacy, that China would ever seriously help the US with North Korea ?
Unfortunately, trump's tool bag is limited, insults, grandiose promises, intimidation and threats.
Recently he has added a few new ones like deflection, denial and playing the victim card.
Here with china we have intimidation and threats.
Trump will hurt anyone he can that doesn't bow down to his desires though so there is that.
Here with china we have intimidation and threats.
No, this is the fulfillment of a campaign promise:
"Donald Trump vowed on Tuesday to rip up international trade deals and start an unrelenting offensive against Chinese economic practices, framing his contest with Hillary Clinton as a choice between hard-edge nationalism and the policies of "a leadership class that worships globalism."
"Speaking in western Pennsylvania, Trump sought to turn the page on weeks of campaign turmoil by returning to a core set of economic grievances that have animated his candidacy from the start. He threatened to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and pledged to label China a currency manipulator and impose punitive tariffs on Chinese goods.
"Donald Trump continued blasting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on Tuesday, likening it in an afternoon speech to “rape.”
“It’s a rape of our country. It’s a harsh word, but that’s what it is—rape of our country, ” Trump said at an evening rally in St Clairsville, Ohio.
Here with china we have intimidation and threats.
"No, this is the fulfillment of a campaign promise:"
I agree,
If you notice everything that comes out of trump is one of the four categories I listed as his tools, including every word he spoke campaigning.. Those "tools" ARE trump in a nutshell: insults, grandiose promises, intimidation and threats
What a leader of men......sarc !
.
And what even a worse role model for our youth.
Sad !
This is a law passed under the Obama administration not Trump.
"Since the law took effect a year ago this month, Customs and Border Protection officials have initiated 14 investigations and have worked with other agencies and foreign governments to strengthen enforcement."
"Donald Trump vowed
He threatened
Trump continued blasting
a rape of our country. It’s a harsh word
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everything that comes out of trump is one of the four categories
What a leader of men......sarc !
If you notice everything that comes out of trump is one of the four categories I listed as his tools, including every word he spoke campaigning.. Those "tools" ARE trump in a nutshell: insults, grandiose promises, intimidation and threats
So, when he promises to correct what he perceives (and in this case -follows up with action) as an unfair trade agreement, you claim the promise and subsequent action fits into one of those character traits you have listed. Sorry, I fail to see how it fits.
Do you care to explain?
I'm saying his main Tools for accomplishment are listed.
His vision and goals are another thing.
I do not doubt donald trump has GOOD intentions.
I do NOT agree nor like his personality, his method of operating, nor his tools of accomplishment.
I further more do NOT believe his vision and mandate of him "single handedly" tearing down the 241 year old established federal government of our nation and rebuilding one in HIS OWN VISION" is either constitutional or intelligent. The founding fathers worked so hard to make it so NO ONE MAN would ever have that much power. I hate to think of what they would have thought of trump or his insane "mandate".
We had/have a collective minded governmental control over us for a damn good reason. so many are willing to abandon those principles to follow some high rollers "I can fix everyone's everything" By this single handedly BS world class megalomaniac, Well, I'm NOT.
What a gamble !!!
I'm saying his main Tools for accomplishment are listed.
His vision and goals are another thing.
I do not doubt donald trump has GOOD intentions.
So far, we are in agreement.
I do NOT agree nor like his personality, his method of operating, nor his tools of accomplishment.
Have we had leaders that were less than admirable, but effective ?
Bill Clinton comes to mind. Good President / terrible human being.
I further more do NOT believe his vision and mandate of him "single handedly" tearing down the 241 year old established federal government of our nation and rebuilding one in HIS OWN VISION" is either constitutional or intelligent. The founding fathers worked so hard to make it so NO ONE MAN would ever have that much power.
He didn't campaign to become dictator nor does he want to dismantle the Constitution. He would like to reign in agencies of government who have become all too powerful and are enacting laws & regulations on their own. He is also, as you know against the elitist/globalist powers that have had set much of our foreign policy.
We had/have a collective minded governmental control over us for a damn good reason.
"We've had such control, but if it's for a damn good reason" - that's an open question.
We have also had a populist president, a president who had to resign because he spied on the opposition, a highly educated, well polished president who idealized the KKK and a president who enacted the agenda of his assassinated predecessor and recently a left wing ideologue who politicized every agency of government.
The government has survived all of it.
"The government has survived all of it."
Agreed and hopefully this 241 year old Constitutional federal republical country will still be a constitutional federal republical county when trump is done with it as well.
But he is better suited to being a dictator (BOSS) than he is a damn president !
I dont like that !
My question is still unanswered:
So, when he promises to correct what he perceives (and in this case -follows up with action) as an unfair trade agreement, you claim the promise and subsequent action fits into one of those character traits you have listed. Sorry, I fail to see how it fits.
Do you care to explain?
My question is still unanswered:
Promises and action are two separate things
One is words, one is acting
Trump promised a world of things ( although having power, they have no physical manifestation)
trumps actions are reality (putting forth physical action)
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My post was about trumps words and his personality.
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My answer on that is What trump Promises to do is called a goal. He promised to Work on a goal. I further said I believe he has good intentions.
However Whether this Goal and his action on what he perceives as an unfair trade agreement and is "the correct thing to actually do or not I do not know
I have not studied the trade argument to see and doubt if I would understand enough about to even be able to tell. That's why I vote for the most qualified I can for these jobs.
This is a law passed under the Obama administration not Trump.
NOTED
My first comments demonstrate where Trump intends to go with it.
My post was about trumps words and his personality.
There is no question that his words & personality are seriously flawed. They have been the main topic of the news since the day he was elected.
As I have said, I am far more concerned with his actions and agenda.
Thus far:
He has appointed a Supreme Court judge who is dedicated to the Constitution.
He has eradicated regulations which were never approved by the US congress
He has restored some sense of sovereignty to the southern border and is enforcing immigration law
He is quietly defeating ISIS
He has forced North Korea to back down from it's threat to attack Guam
He has placed a temporary ban on travel from certain failed states & is reducing the number of refugees to the US
He has sought to form an alliance with Arab nations
He is working on improving trade agreements - as promised
All of which he did on his own. Congress has yet to pass any of his legislative agenda.