The Commerce Department has invited “interested parties” to comment on the below draft 2019 suspension agreements and the Commerce memos to Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Kessler.
Comments are due by COB on December 16.
On page 10 of the December 4th Antidumping Duty Investigation (AD) memo, Commerce states: “…by setting minimum higher reference prices for Other Sugar (i.e. raw sugar) and Refined Sugar in conjunction with the amended polarity threshold and shipping requirements for Other Sugar and Refined Sugar, the draft” 2019 suspension agreements “will prevent significant shortages of sugar in the United States, thereby ensuring a stable supply of sugar for U.S. consumers.”
“Commerce continues to conclude that the draft’’ 2019 suspension agreements advance “the public interest” apparently by maintaining higher reference prices.
On page 5 of the December 4th Countervailing Duty Investigation (CVD) memo, Commerce references “The essential problem, as described” by U.S. sugar producers, “was that the 2014 Agreements resulted in declining prices for ‘Refined Sugar’”. U.S. sugar producers “further explained that the large volume of imports of ‘Refined Sugar’ from Mexico ‘depressed U.S. market prices to the point that the market price for raw sugar…was higher than the price for fully refined sugar.”
Countervailing Duty:
Antidumping Duty: