Chinese Quartz Tariff: Not Just Slabs
WASHINGTON – A furniture importer is under interim importing measures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for allegedly evading Chinese unfair-trade duties when importing quartz-surface-topped vanities.
Concord, Ontario-based Simpli Home Ltd., which sells furniture online and distributes through major U.S. retailers, could face tariff payments of 300% to 400% as a result of the CBP action.
The CBP informed legal counsel for Simpli Home on June 29, after an investigation initiated in March by a complaint from U.S. quartz-surface manufacturer Cambria Company LLC.
Cambria alleged that Simpli Home brought Chinese-made quartz-surfaces into the United States by transshipping the material through Vietnam. The surfaces in question were on cabinets shipped from a supplier in Bình Dương, a province north of Ho Chi Minh City.
Cambria made the complaint under the provisions of the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA), which allows companies to investigate possible import violations to bring to the attention of the U.S. government.
A CBP division, while investigating Cambria’s allegations, asked for documentation in April from Simpli Home concerning shipments connected with the surface in question. The federal agency didn’t get the information, even after extending the deadline for submission. (The CBP notice cites Simpli Home claimed it couldn’t get documents from the manufacturer.)
The CBP measures include the suspension of liquidation for any shipments after March 24 that include quartz-surface-topped vanities, which means the U.S. government can still collection additional tariffs before closing the books on the imports. In addition, the CBP will investigate any related shipments received by Simpli Home for a full year prior to March 24 for any possible tariff infractions.
The unfair-trade duties, levied since June 2019, specifically include products that include Chinese-made quartz surfaces – even if those products are manufactured and assembled in another country.
SimpliHome, founded in the early 2000s, is an online retailer of home goods at https://www.simpli-home.com/. It’s also supplied home furnishings to major U.S. retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, Macy’s, Staples, Target, Walmart and Wayfair.
A 2017 profile of the company noted that, at the time, it imported more than a half-million pieces of furniture from more than 30 factories in China, India and Vietnam.
Importer cited for quartz-surface vanity tops In latest U.S. customs action. WASHINGTON – A furniture importer is under interim importing measures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for allegedly evading Chinese unfair-trade duties when importing quartz-surface-topped vanities. Concord, Ontario-based Simpli Home Ltd., which sells furniture online and distributes through major U.S. retailers, could face tariff payments of 300% to 400% as a result of the CBP action. The CBP informed legal counsel for Simpli Home on June 29, after an investigation initiated in March by a complaint from U.S. quartz-surface manufacturer Cambria Company LLC. Cambria alleged that Simpli Home brought Chinese-made quartz-surfaces into the United States by transshipping the material through Vietnam. The surfaces in question were on cabinets shipped from a supplier in Bình Dương, a province north of Ho Chi Minh City. Cambria made the complaint under the provisions of the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA), which allows companies to investigate possible import violations to bring to the attention of the U.S. government. A CBP division, while investigating Cambria’s allegations, asked for documentation in April from Simpli Home concerning shipments connected with the surface in question. The federal agency didn’t get the information, even after extending the deadline for submission. (The CBP notice cites Simpli Home claimed it couldn’t get documents from the manufacturer.) The CBP measures include the suspension of liquidation for any shipments after March 24 that include quartz-surface-topped vanities, which means the U.S. government can still collection additional tariffs before closing the books on the imports. In addition, the CBP will investigate any related shipments received by Simpli Home for a full year prior to March 24 for any possible tariff infractions. The unfair-trade duties, levied since June 2019, specifically include products that include Chinese-made quartz surfaces – even if those products are manufactured and assembled in another country. SimpliHome, founded in the early 2000s, is an online retailer of home goods at https://www.simpli-home.com/. It also supplies home furnishings to major U.S. retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depo, Macy’s, Staples, Target, Walmart and Wayfair. A 2017 profile of the company noted that, at the time, it imported more than a half-million pieces of furniture from more than 30 factories in China, India and Vietnam.
