The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC or Commission) released a report on August 5, 2026, evaluating the effectiveness of the import relief measures imposed on crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) products that became effective on February 7, 2018, and ended on February 6, 2026. 

The report, Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Partially or Fully Assembled Into Other Products: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Import Relief (Investigation No. TA-201-075 (Evaluation), USITC Publication 5773, August 2026), is available on the USITC website.

Background

Section 204(d) of the Trade Act of 1974 requires the Commission, upon termination of a safeguard measure, to evaluate the effectiveness of the action in facilitating positive adjustment by the domestic industry to import competition, consistent with the reasons set out by the President in a report submitted to the Congress under section 203(b) of the Act. The Commission must submit the report on the evaluation to the President and the Congress no later than 180 days after the day on which the relief action was terminated on February 6, 2026. The report was submitted on August 5, 2026, 180 days after the date of termination. 

The President imposed the measure on certain CSPV products on February 7, 2018, after receiving a USITC determination (under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974) that CSPV products were being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry. The measure was in the form of (a) a tariff-rate quota on imports of CSPV cells not partially or fully assembled into other products and (b) additional duties on imports of CSPV modules that were phased down over a period of four years. See Proclamation 9693 of January 23, 2018. 

On February 4, 2022, the President extended the measure by an additional four years after the USITC determined that action under section 203 of the Trade Act with respect to imports of CSPV products continued to be necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury and that there was evidence that the domestic industry was making a positive adjustment to import competition. See Proclamation 10339.

The United States International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC) today announced the remedy recommendations in its global safeguard investigation regarding imports of quartz surface products that will be sent to the President.

Today’s action follows the Commission’s April 1, 2026 determination that quartz surface products are being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. Information about the injury determination can be found in the April 1 news release.

The statements of Chair Amy A. Karpel and Commissioner Jason E. Kearns regarding their remedy recommendations are attached. Both Commissioners recommend a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on imports of quartz surface products, including slabs and fabricated quartz surface products, for a four-year period. The recommended in-quota tariff rate is 25 percent ad valorem and the recommended above-quota tariff rate is 40 percent ad valorem in Year 1 of the relief period, both of which decrease by one percentage point in each subsequent year of the four-year relief period. The TRQ recommended volume is 140,000,000 square feet in Year 1 of the relief period, 159,000,000 square feet in Year 2, 164,000,000 square feet in Year 3, and 169,000,000 square feet in Year 4; and the annual in-quota volume level is recommended to be allocated on a quarterly basis. 

The Commissioners further recommend that U.S. imports from certain countries be excluded from the TRQ, and that a robust mechanism to reduce the potential for circumvention of this remedy is implemented. Commissioner Kearns makes certain additional recommendations. Full details on their recommendations will be included in the report to the President.

The Commission will forward its report, which will contain its injury determination, remedy recommendations, certain additional findings, and the basis for the findings, to the President by May 18, 2026. 

The President will make the final decision concerning whether to provide relief to the U.S. industry and the type and amount of relief.

The Commission's public report to the President, Quartz Surface Products, Inv. No. TA-201-79, USITC Publication 5738, May 2026, will be available on the USITC website by June 26, 2026.

COMMISSIONER STATEMENTS

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today announced the remedy recommendations that it will forward to the President in its global safeguard investigation regarding imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber.

Today’s action follows the Commission’s July 9, 2024, determination that fine denier polyester staple fiber is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. Information about that determination can be found in the news release issued on July 9, 2024.

All four Commissioners recommend a four-year period of relief. All four Commissioners recommend a tariff-rate quota be imposed on imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber from all countries covered by their affirmative injury determination, and further recommend that a quantitative restriction, to be set at zero in the first year of relief increasing by 1 million pounds in each subsequent year over the duration of the safeguard, be imposed on imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber entered as a Temporary Importation under Bond (TIB). The statements of the Commissioners regarding their remedy recommendations are attached.  Full details on their recommendations will be included in the report to the President.

The Commission will forward its report, which will contain its injury determination, remedy recommendations, certain additional findings, and the basis for them, to the President by August 26, 2024. 

The President, not the Commission, will make the final decision concerning whether to provide relief to the U.S. industry and the type and amount of relief.

The Commission's public report to the President Fine Denier Polyester Staple Fiber, Inv. No. TA-201-78, USITC Publication 5536, August 2024, will be available by September 16, 2024 and it may be accessed on the USITC website at:  https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

 

COMMISSIONER STATEMENTS

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that fine denier polyester staple fiber (PSF) is being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article.

The determination was made in the context of an investigation initiated on February 28, 2024 under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252) in response to a petition filed by 

Fiber Industries LLC d/b/a Darling Fibers, Nan Ya Plastics Corp, America, and Sun Fiber LLC. Information about this investigation and global safeguard investigations is available in the factsheet. 

The Commission’s determination resulted from a 4-0 vote. Chair Amy K. Karpel and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Jason E. Kearns vote in the affirmative.

As a result of today’s vote, the Commission will proceed to the remedy phase of the investigation. The Commission will hold a public hearing on remedy on July 23, 2024.  The Commission will submit its report containing its injury determination, remedy recommendations, certain additional findings, and the basis for them to the President by August 26, 2024.

When the Commission makes an affirmative injury determination in a global safeguard investigation, it is required to make certain additional findings under the statutes implementing certain free trade agreements. 

Pursuant to these statutes, the Commission finds that imports of fine denier PSF from neither Canada nor Mexico account for a substantial share of total imports.  It also finds that imports of fine denier PSF from each other free trade agreement partner country, individually, are not a substantial cause of serious injury or threat thereof.

These findings will be forwarded to the President as part of the Commission’s report.

The President, not the Commission, will make the final decision concerning whether to provide relief to the U.S. industry and the kind of relief to provide, including with respect to imports from FTA countries. 

A public report concerning the investigation will be available after the Commission submits its findings and recommendations to the President; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at the Commission’s Publications Library.  Status of proceedings, links to relevant documents, and additional information for this investigation can be found at the Commission’s Investigations Database System (IDS).

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that fresh, chilled, or frozen blueberries are not being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury, or the threat of serious injury, to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article.

The determination was made in the context of an investigation initiated on September 29, 2020, under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252) at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative.  Information about this investigation and global safeguard investigations in general can be found here:  https://usitc.gov/press_room/documents/blueberries_factsheet_finalassubmittedforposting.pdf

The Commission’s determination resulted from a 5-0 vote.  Chair Jason E. Kearns, Vice Chair Randolph J. Stayin, and Commissioners David S. Johanson, Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the negative.

As a result of today’s vote, the investigation will end, and the Commission will not recommend a remedy to the President.  The Commission will submit its report containing its injury determination and the basis for it to the President by March 29, 2021.

A public report concerning the investigation will be available after the Commission submits its report to the President.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today released its report on its monitoring of developments in the U.S. large residential washer industry since the President’s imposition of a safeguard measure on imports of large residential washers and certain parts thereof.

The report, Large Residential Washers: Monitoring Developments in the Domestic Industry, is available to the public via the USITC website (www.usitc.gov).

The measure took effect on February 7, 2018.  The President imposed the measure after receiving a USITC determination (under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974) that large residential washers and certain parts were being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry. The measure was in the form of tariff-rate quotas on imports of large residential washers and certain parts thereof for a period of three years and one day.  See Proclamation 9694 of January 23, 2018.

As required by section 204(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, on February 15, 2019, the Commission instituted a mid-term review to report to the President and the Congress on the results of its monitoring of developments within the large residential washer industry since imposition of the safeguard measure.

Large Residential Washers: Monitoring Developments in the Domestic Industry (Inv. No. TA-204-013, USITC Publication 4941, August 2019) is available at https://www.usitc.gov/publications/701_731/pub4941.pdf.

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today announced the remedy recommendations that it will forward to the President in its global safeguard investigation regarding imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells (whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products).

Today’s action follows the Commission’s September 22, 2017, determination that crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells (whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products) are being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article. Information about that determination can be found here: https://www.usitc.gov/press_room/news_release/2017/er0922ll832.htm.

The statements of the Commissioners regarding their remedy recommendations are attached. Full details on their recommendations will be included in the report to the President.

The Commission will forward its report, which will contain its injury determination, remedy recommendations, certain additional findings, and the basis for them, to the President by November 13, 2017.

The President, not the Commission, will make the final decision whether to provide relief to the U.S. industry and the type and amount of relief.

The Commission's public report to the President Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells (Whether or Not Partially or Fully Assembled into Other Products), Inv. No. TA-201-075, USITC Publication 4739, November 2017, will be available by December 4, 2017; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.

 

STATEMENTS OF THE COMMISSIONERS (click here)

 

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that large residential washers are being imported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article.

The determination was made in the context of an investigation initiated on June 5, 2017, under section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252) in response to a petition filed by Whirlpool Corporation.  Information about this investigation and global safeguard investigations in general can be found here:  https://www.usitc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/201_factsheet_washers_final.pdf

The Commission’s determination resulted from a 4-0 vote.  Chairman Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Vice Chairman David S. Johanson, and Commissioners Irving A. Williamson and Meredith M. Broadbent made affirmative determinations.

As a result of today’s vote, the Commission will proceed to the remedy phase of the investigation. The Commission will hold a public hearing on remedy on October 19, 2017.  The Commission will submit its report containing its injury determination, remedy recommendations, certain additional findings, and the basis for them to the President by December 4, 2017.

When the Commission makes an affirmative injury determination in a global safeguard investigation, it is required to make certain additional findings under the implementing statutes for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (Canada and Mexico), the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic), the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, the Agreement between the United States of America and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area, the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement, and the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.

Chairman Schmidtlein, Vice Chairman Johanson, and Commissioners Williamson and Broadbent made negative findings with respect to imports from Canada and Mexico and all other FTA countries. 

These findings will be forwarded to the President as part of the Commission’s report.

The President, not the Commission, will make the final decision concerning whether to provide relief to the U.S. industry and the kind of relief to provide, including with respect to imports from FTA countries. 

A public report concerning the investigation will be available after the Commission submits its findings and recommendations to the President.

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