Couplings Importer Argues Products Came From Korea, Not China
CBP wrongly found that couplings imported by Pusan Coupling originated in China instead of South Korea, the company said in a complaint at the Court of International Trade (Pusan Coupling Corp. v. United States, CIT # 25-00092).
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Pusan said its products, “cylindrical couplings designed to connect oil drilling pipes,” are manufactured from hollow pipes called “coupling stock.” It said it imported its coupling stock from China, then transformed it into couplings in South Korea by cutting, machining, threading and tapering, coating, painting and finishing them.
This process substantially transformed the products, changing their country of origin from China to South Korea, it said. As a result, it shouldn’t have been assessed tariffs on Chinese-origin goods.