CBP Says Plywood Importers Evaded AD/CVD Orders in EAPA Determination
Far East, Ciel, APPI, InterGlobal, and Libery Woods transshipped plywood through Vietnam to evade antidumping and countervailing duty orders on hardwood plywood from China, falsely declaring the plywood was of Vietnamese origin, CBP said in a Jan. 30 Enforce and Protect Act determination.
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The case was requested by Plywood Source, based on evidence that Vietnamese manufacturer/exporter VN Finewood was established and began operations in Vietnam subsequent to Commerce's orders on hardwood plywood from China and on trade data that VN Finewood was shipping far more than its production capacity. VN Finewood itself provided evidence of its limited production descriptions and dimensions of its products, which CBP says are "indicative of finished hardwood plywood."
Further video evidence showed VN Finewood workers being instructed to remove a “Made in China” label from the crate, and CBP also relied on the lack of machinery used in the production of finished hardwood plywood at VN Finewood facilities. CBP says that importers failed to "verify the capability, or existence of, VN Finewood’s domestic sources" which allowed it to easily transship Chinese plywood.
CBP concluded that while covered merchandise was likely commingled with Vietnamese ply, because VN Finewood purchased most of its panels from China and because "no reliable evidence exists on the record to differentiate between Vietnam-origin and Chinese-origin hardwood plywood," all covered merchandise from VN Finewood during the period of investigation is subject to the AD/CVD rates from hardwood plywood from China.