Engineered Stone Group Supports U.S. Tariffs
VOLARGNE, Italy – The Agglomerated Stone World-Wide Association (A.St.A) issued a statement in mid-December backing recent U.S. government actions on Chinese quartz-surfaces imports.
The international group of 14 surface manufacturers “supports the preliminary measures adopted by the United States Department of Commerce and by the United States International Trade Commission (USITC), as part of their investigations, to impose duties on Chinese producers to protect fair trade in the industry,” according to the Dec. 13 statement.
The U.S. actions, coming as a result of petition from U.S. manufacturer Cambria on unfair trade practices, could result in duties exceeding 300% on quartz surfaces from Chinese sources.
The group also expressed support for “considers similar measures should be adopted in other jurisdictions like the European Union to guarantee competition in equal conditions for the industry’s and of the consumers’ benefit.”
Originally a producer group with European members, the group expanded in 2015 to include companies around the globe. Member companies are Caesarstone (Israel) Cambria (United States); Cimstone (Turkey); Compac (Spain); Cosentino Group (Spain); Diresco (Belgium); LG Hausys (Korea); Quartzforms (Germany); Eurosurfaces Portugal S.A./RMC (Portugal); Santa Margherita (Italy); Stone Italiana (Italy); Technistone (Czech Republic); Topzstone/Guidoni (Brazil); and Vicostone (Vietnam).
The Cosentino Group offered its own statement on Dec. 21, stating that it “expresses its appreciation of the diligent work by both the United States Department of Commerce and the United States International Trade Commission (“USITC”) in their investigations into the unfair trading that has targeted and severely impacted the market for quartz-surface products.”
“Our company stands in support of fair and free trade,” said Eduardo Cosentino, CEO of Cosentino North America and EVP global sales for Cosentino Group. “We fully support fair and free trade and sincerely applaud all efforts that have led to this decision and important cause.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to compete fairly in the United States, and with this announcement, we look forward to the restoration of a level playing field in the market.”
The petitions filed at Commerce and the ITC by Cambria claimed that the increase in Chinese imports injured the domestic industry and threatens further damage if duties to offset China’s unfair trade practices are not imposed. If Commerce and the ITC both make final affirmative determinations in their investigations, final duties could be imposed in May or June 2019.
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