Since CapTrade’s last article on recent 701 (countervailing duty) & 731 (antidumping duty) Petitions and 337 Complaints, there have been several new filings in the past few weeks. Most notably, the United States Trade Representative requested the USITC conduct an investigation to assess the “probable economic effect” of modifications to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).

The deficit for petroleum products has declined by approximately $41 billion while the deficit for non-petroleum products has expanded by approximately $10 billion. This suggests that increased U.S. production of energy, not improved productivity or in-sourcing, is the main driver of the change in U.S. trade flows thus far in 2013.

In November of 2012 the U.S. International Trade Commission found that the U.S. solar industry was materially injured by imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules from China. The duties have had a discernible effect on both imports from China and from the rest of the world.