U.S. Keeps Countervailing Duties on Chinese Ceramic Tile After Sunset Review
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The United States Department of Commerce has finished its first sunset review of the countervailing duty order on ceramic tile from the People’s Republic of China. The department found that ending the order would likely cause countervailable subsidies to continue or come back.
What Is a Sunset Review?
A sunset review is a regular check done every five years. It looks at whether removing duties would lead to unfair trading practices starting again. This review was started on May 1, 2025, under section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930.
Process and Responses
The Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile sent in a notice of intent to take part in the review on May 16, 2025. The group claimed status as an interested party, as most of its members make, produce, or wholesale similar products in the U.S. The Coalition also submitted a full response to the review by the June 2, 2025, deadline.
No responses came from the Government of China or any respondent interested parties. The Department of Commerce told the U.S. International Trade Commission about the lack of responses from China on June 20, 2025. As a result, the department did an expedited (120-day) review.
Scope of the Order
The order covers ceramic tile from China. More details on the scope can be found in the Issues and Decision Memorandum provided by the Department of Commerce.
What Did the Department Find?
The Department of Commerce decided that ending the countervailing duty order would likely lead to the continuation or return of illegal subsidies for ceramic tile from China. The review includes analysis of likely subsidy rates if the order was removed.
The main subsidy rate found likely to continue or come back is 358.81 percent ad valorem for the following producers and exporters:
- Temgoo International Trading Limited: 358.81%
- Foshan Sanfi Imp & Emp Co., Ltd: 358.81%
- All Others: 358.81%
Information for Interested Parties
The notice is also a reminder for parties with access to confidential information to follow the rules for returning or destroying materials. These rules are detailed in 19 CFR 351.305.
Conclusion
The Department of Commerce is publishing these results according to sections 751(c), 752(b), and 777(i)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, and 19 CFR 351.221(c)(5)(ii).
The final results were signed on August 20, 2025, by Abdelali Elouaradia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance.
To access the full Issues and Decision Memorandum, interested parties can visit https://access.trade.gov.
Appendix – Topics in the Issues and Decision Memorandum:
- Summary
- Background
- Scope of the Order
- History of the Order
- Legal Framework
- Discussion of the Issues
- Likelihood of Continuation or Recurrence of a Countervailable Subsidy
- Net Countervailable Subsidy Rates Likely to Prevail
- Nature of the Subsidies
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- Final Results of Sunset Review
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- Recommendation
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