U.S. Adopts New Steel Import Monitoring Rules

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Department of Commerce in September adopted changes to the Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system in an attempt to enhance its ability to identify circumvention and certain other violations of U.S. trade rules.

With the revisions, SIMA now, among other things:

• Requires applicants for steel import licenses to identify where the steel was melted and poured (in addition to existing country of origin requirements)
• Applies to all products subject to Section 232 tariffs
• Is extended indefinitely
• Codifies the existing low-value license requirement for certain steel entries up to $5,000

A new online platform that is expected to be available starting Oct. 13 will, according to the Commerce Department, “offer free, modern data analytic tools to the public for performing detailed, customized data analysis. These tools will aid in the identification of changing trade patterns and surges in U.S. imports of steel products.”

“These significant improvements to SIMA will enable Commerce and the public to more readily identify transshipment and circumvention involving steel imports,” Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said.

Courtesy: AIIS