Trade Remedies
Clark Hill attorneys have represented clients in trade remedy matters for nearly 50 years. Our International Trade practice group has a successful track record in defending governments, foreign producers, and importers in antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) cases with a deep knowledge of the issues surrounding these proceedings. Below is a summary of our experience and accomplishments:
- Our attorneys have served as counsel to more than 350 exporters and US importers in both market and non-market (China, Vietnam) AD/CVD cases. In many of those cases, we have represented both coalitions of importers and/or exporters, as well as individual companies seeking the independent advice of counsel.
- We have defended more than 1000 foreign exporters and US importers in AD/CVD cases and related customs matters before the Department of Commerce (DOC), the International Trade Commission (ITC), and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
- We regularly practice before the US Court of International Trade (CIT), US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), and state and other federal courts. We have litigated more than 250 international trade cases before the CIT and CAFC alone.
- In addition to AD/CVD, we counsel clients in other types of trade actions, including Section 301 unfair trade practices; Section 201 global safeguard (“escape clause”) proceedings, Section 337 unfair trade competition; and Section 232 investigations involving threats to national security.
Results:
- Exclusion from Section 301 tariffs on client’s imported flooring products, resulting in refunds of $25 million and quarterly savings of $11 million
- Secured product exclusions and more than $2 million in tariff refunds in Section 232 and 301 proceedings for client aluminum foil importer
- Exclusion from Section 301 tariffs on client’s imported fleece and yarn products, resulting in multimillion-dollar savings
- Exclusion of all products exported by client Chinese “mandatory respondent” from the scope of the AD/CVD investigation on Steel Racks from China.
- Saving a US importer client more than $100 million in AD duties resulting from a CBP audit of imports of Wooden Bedroom Furniture from China. This result also rescued this major US furniture conglomerate from potential bankruptcy.
- Eliminating millions of dollars in potential AD/CVD duties for US importer clients Blackstone/OTR LLC and OTR Wheel Engineering through termination of the AD/CVD investigation on Steel Wheels from China at the ITC.
- Securing a 0 percent AD rate for first-time participant and mandatory respondent Armstrong Wood Products Kunshan, Ltd., in the first DOC annual review of Multilayered Wood Flooring from China.
- Eliminating millions of dollars in potential AD/CVD duties for U.S. importer clients Crowley Maritime Corporation and Sea Star Line through termination of the 2012 AD/CVD investigation of 53-Foot Domestic Dry Containers from China at the ITC.
- Saved the client more than $1 million per month in AD duties and to help secure long-term contracts with major US home improvement retail customers as a result of exclusion from the scope of the AD case on Hand Trucks from China of multi-use product imported by our client under the WORX brand.
- Securing in the 8th DOC annual review the lowest AD rate (4.54%) in the decade-long history of the Off-the-Road (“OTR”) Tires from China case for Chinese mandatory respondent, and first-time participant in the case, Weihai Zhongwei Rubber Co., Ltd.
- In OTR Tires from Sri Lanka, the first CVD investigation against that country in more than 30 years, securing a nominal CVD margin of 2.18% (only .18% over de minimis) for the Government of Sri Lanka.
- Securing more than $7 million in AD refunds for the largest US wood flooring retailer client through dismissal of petitioners’ CIT appeal of the 4th DOC annual AD review in Multilayered Wood Flooring from China.
- Securing a 0 percent AD rate for first-time participant and mandatory respondent, Seylinco, S.A., in the DOC annual review of Honey from Argentina.
- Termination at the ITC preliminary phase of the AD investigations on Desktop Note Counters and Scanners from China, Korea and the UK on behalf of clients China Taly Aviation Technologies Corp. and Scan Coin Industries AB, Nanjing No. 5311 Factory.
- Through litigation at the CIT and CAFC, securing a 0 percent AD rate and exclusion from the AD order on Polyester Staple Fiber from Korea for client Geum Poong Corporation.
- Termination at the ITC preliminary phase of the AD investigation on Anhydrous Sodium Sulfate from Canada for importer client Procter & Gamble.
- Exclusion of the Latvian steel industry from the Section 201 Global Safeguards Investigation on Steel on behalf of the Government of Latvia.
- Successfully securing separate rates for numerous Chinese clients through Separate Rate Applications in AD cases.
Experience
Represent a U.S. importer/retailer in claims for the refund of duties under the drawback law
Represented two U.S. automotive importer/distributors in claims for refunds under the customs value code based upon post entry downward adjustments to their transfer prices
Represented a Chinese producer of citric acid in an investigation under the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws
Represented an Iraqi architectural and construction firm in its negotiations with the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers related to Iraqi reconstruction and development initiatives
Represented a class of claimants regarding currency seized under bulk cash smuggling provisions of the U.S.A. Patriot Act
Represented a U.S. importer of medical waste bags to determine whether its goods were within the scope of an antidumping duty order on polyethylene retail carrier bags from the People’s Republic of China
Represent a U.S. producer of household goods in the drafting, lobbying and enactment of federal legislation designed to obtain reduced-duty treatment
Represented a U.S. distributor of chemicals for criminal violations of the provisions of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
Represented a computer components importer in parallel criminal and civil proceedings for avoiding customs duties and filing false customs entries of computer components from Singapore
Wall off” advice to a German corporation employing U.S. Persons abroad in its dealings with embargoed-nation customers
Represented an importer of chemicals from Europe in parallel civil and criminal investigations of allegations of violations of the country of origin marking rules
Represented a Taiwanese producer of fashion ribbons in an investigation under the U.S. antidumping laws
A U.S. citizen in connection with the importation of smuggled artifacts from looted Iraqi museums
Represented a foreign producer of medical devices and its CEO in an allegation of importation of allegedly mismarked and misbranded medical devices under both the Tariff Act and the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetics Act
Represent a U.S. durable goods producer / importer / exporter in a foreign criminal and parliamentary investigation of sales of goods to a foreign government-backed entity
Represent two European-based automobile importer / distributors in audits of customs duty liability