Commerce Finds Wheel Caps Outside of China Chassis Order Over Concerns on 'Unnecessary' Scope Ruling
Trailer wheel caps imported by Trans Texas Tire are not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties on chassis from China, the Commerce Department said in a recent scope ruling. The scope of the AD/CVD orders excludes “individual components entered and sold by themselves,” and the decorative wheel caps imported by Trans Texas are both sold by themselves and used on trailers and recreational vehicles rather than chassis, Commerce said.
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The Coalition of American Chassis Manufacturers had agreed the wheel caps are outside the scope of AD/CVD, but argued the scope ruling request was unnecessary and risked opening up holes for otherwise in-scope goods to avoid the duties. Trans Texas said the wheel caps are imported under a tariff schedule subheading identified in the scope of the AD/CVD orders, and the scope ruling is necessary because entries of the wheel caps might be flagged by CBP to require payment of respective duties.
“We intend to instruct CBP that Trans Texas’ wheel caps, imported by Trans Texas, as described in the Scope Application, are not covered by the scope of the Orders and to terminate the suspension of liquidation and refund any cash deposits for entries covered by this determination,” Commerce said in its ruling.