CBP Announces EAPA Investigation, Interim Measures on Mattresses From China and Vietnam
CBP announced an Enforce and Protect Act investigation saying there is reasonable suspicion that several companies evaded the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on mattresses from China and Vietnam. The companies are Beanomy, IYEE Nature, Kelanch, Wakodo Household Supply, Xinshidian Trading, Zevoky, Kakaivy, Weekaly, Heniddy, Ryan James Engineering, Sunwind Trading and Anlowo. The agency said this finding made the enactment of interim measures necessary.
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(UPDATE: The link to CBP's notice that was previously included in this story was removed at CBP's request because the notice contained confidential information. International Trade Today will update this story with a new link once available.)
The Feb. 16 announcement followed a November 2023 allegation by Zinus USA that the importers were violating the antidumping duty orders and the countervailing duty order.
Zinus said data from the International Trade Commission showed a spike in imports of mattresses from South Korea of 661% from March 2023 to May 2023. Zinus said that there was no increase in Korean production capability that could account for the increase, which suggested transshipment.
Zinus also told CBP that site searches at its Korean supplier facilities revealed they were too small to make mattresses and that one wasn't even at its reported address.
CBP said only IYEE Nature and Sunwind submitted "partial responses" to its CF-28 document requests and the others didn't respond. It said that this raised "reasonable suspicion" of transshipment.
The agency enacted interim measures. The agency said it will suspend the liquidation of each unliquidated entry that entered on or after Nov. 17, 2023, the date of the initiation of the investigation; extend the period for liquidating each unliquidated entry of such covered merchandise that entered before that date; and may take additional measures including requiring a single transaction bond or additional security or the posting of a cash deposit with respect to such covered merchandise. CBP will require live entry and reject any entry summaries that don't comply with live entry procedures as well as evaluate the importer's continuous bonds to determine sufficiency.
The importers didn't respond to our requests for comment.