Tongue-and-Groove Planking Not Covered by China Mouldings and Millwork Duties, Commerce Says
Tongue-and-grooved solid sawn wood planking sold as exterior siding and also used as interior covering for walls and ceilings is not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties on wood mouldings and millwork from China, as long as it is not finger-jointed or laminated veneer lumber (LVL), the Commerce Department said in two recent scope rulings.
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The scope of the AD/CVD orders excludes exterior siding, whether solid-wood, composite, cement or shingles, that is not LVL or finger jointed, Commerce said. It also says it covers solid wood interior siding, including nickel gap or shiplap, that is not LVL or finger-jointed. As neither of the products at issue in the scope rulings was LVL or finger jointed, they are covered by the exclusion, and are not subject interior siding, Commerce said.
Boise Cascade requested one of the scope rulings, issued Dec. 14, on its imported solid sawn wood planking, constructed with tongue and groove but not finger-jointed, edge glued or LVL, that measures 5/16 of an inch by 3.5 inches by 8 feet. Classifiable under subheading 4409.10.9040, the planking is for interior or exterior use, and is manufactured from Chinese cedar.
The second scope ruling, issued Dec. 15, came in response to a request from Global Product Sourcing, on its imported solid wood planks that are also tongue and grooved and not finger-jointed or LVL. The planks imported by GPS have a beadboard pattern on one side, and a reversible plain side with an edge-V, and are not painted or primed. The plans are intended for use as outdoor siding, but could also be used for interior design purposes, and are classifiable under subheading 4409.10.1080.
Domestic industry did not oppose either request, the ruling said. “The petitioner emphasizes that its letter of no opposition is limited to the solid wood products described in Boise Cascade’s scope ruling request and affirms that LVL or finger-jointed interior siding, including nickel gap or shiplap siding, is covered by the scope of the Orders, as explicitly stated in the Petition.”