Commerce Department Investigating Cherry Imports

Prices were reportedly inflated by up to six times the actual value.

Dried Cherries

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of dried tart cherries from Turkey, finding that exporters sold the fruit at less than fair value. The rates reportedly range from 541.29 to 648.35 percent and received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 204.93 percent.

Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of dried tart cherries from Turkey based on these preliminary rates.In 2018, imports of dried tart cherries from Turkey were valued at an estimated $1.2 million.

These investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by the Dried Tart Cherry Trade Committee. Since the beginning of the Trump Administration, Commerce has initiated 182 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 231 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.

Antidumping and countervailing duty laws provide American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of the unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 496 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or about January 21, 2019. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations in these investigations, and the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD and CVD orders. 

Click HERE for a fact sheet on today’s decisions.


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