U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determination for Silicon Metal from Kazakhstan
For Immediate Release
November 30, 2020
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced an affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of silicon metal from Kazakhstan.
Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters/producers from Kazakhstan received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 120.00 percent.
As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of standard silicon metal from Kazakhstan based on the preliminary rate noted above.
The petitions were filed by Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. (Beverly, OH) and Mississippi Silicon LLC (Burnsville, MS).
Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determination in this case on or about February 11, 2021. This deadline may be extended.
If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about March 29, 2021. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination in this investigation and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue a CVD order. If Commerce makes a negative final determination of dumping or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.
In 2019, imports of silicon metal from Kazakhstan were valued at approximately $14.9 million.
Read the fact sheet on today’s decisions.
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration. Since the beginning of the current administration, Commerce has initiated 306 new antidumping (AD) and CVD investigations – a 283 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration. Commerce currently maintains 539 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
The CVD law provides American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair subsidization of imports into the United States.
Foreign companies that receive financial assistance from foreign governments that benefits those companies’ production of goods and is limited to specific enterprises or industries, or is contingent either upon export performance or upon the use of domestic goods over imported goods, are subject to countervailing duties.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that is consistent with international rules and is based on factual evidence provided on the record. 
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