US Slap 4 Year Safeguard on Fine Denier PSF with Quota to keep Import Window Open

[ABS News Service/14.08.2024]

The International Trade Commission is recommending that President Biden impose a four-year import safeguard on fine denier polyester staple fiber.

The recommendation follows the ITC’s determination last month that fine denier polyester staple fiber is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article.

All four ITC commissioners are recommending a four-year period of relief with a tariff-rate quota be imposed on imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber from all countries covered by their affirmative injury determination.

In that determination, the ITC found that imports of fine denier PSF from neither Canada nor Mexico account for a substantial share of total imports. It also found that imports of fine denier PSF from other US free trade agreement partner countries, individually, are not a substantial cause of serious injury or threat.

In their recommendations to the President, the commissioners propose that a quantitative restriction, to be set at zero in the first year of relief and increasing by 1 million pounds in each subsequent year over the duration of the safeguard, be imposed on imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber entered as a Temporary Importation under Bond.

The commission’s report will be forwarded to President Biden by August 26. The President will make the final determination whether to provide relief to the US industry and the type and amount of relief.