Washington, D.C., November 26, 2024 In response to a section 201 safeguard lawsuit brought by American fibre manufacturers, the White House said this week that President Joe Biden will not impose a tariff rate restriction on imports of fine-denier polyester staple fibre (PSF).
Under the temporary importation under bond (TIB) program, the President announced a limit on imports of fine-denier PSF, which is mostly used in woven textiles and clothing and is not anticipated to have an effect on nonwovens.
Citing the detrimental effects that such steps would have on other businesses, especially nonwoven makers, President Biden decided not to enact a tariff rate quotation or other recommendations made by the U.S. International Trade Commission. His proclamation read as follows:
“I have decided not to impose a tariff-rate quota on fine denier PSF imports, notwithstanding the USITC Commissioners’ recommendation to do so.I have thus made the decision to customise this protection solution for TIB entries of fine denier PSF. Additionally, I have decided against imposing a tariff-rate quota on imports of fine denier PSF in order to balance the conflicting interests of domestic manufacturers of fine denier PSF and the effect of the safeguard remedy on downstream U.S. producers that depend on fine denier PSF, such as textile, defence, and consumer product manufacturers.
This ruling follows comments made by a number of American nonwovens manufacturers to the USITC and the White House Trade Policy Staff Committee stating that measures that would increase the price of fine-denier PSF. A number of nonwovens manufacturers expressed their worries in comments that INDA filed. Government affairs director Wes Fisher testified before the Trade Policy Staff Committee at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative hearing on September 30th