Department of Commerce to investigate mobile crane imports

Department of Commerce to investigate mobile crane imports
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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce plans to initiate an investigation into whether the quantities or circumstances of mobile crane imports into the U.S. threaten to impair national security. 

According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Commerce, this decision follows a petition filed by the Manitowoc Co. Inc., Milwaukee, on Dec. 19, 2019, requesting that the Department of Commerce launch an investigation into mobile crane imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 as amended. The investigation is being conducted by the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and will provide the opportunity for public comment once the rule is posted in the Federal Register. 

“This investigation will help determine whether mobile cranes are being imported in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair U.S. national security,” Ross states. 

Manitowoc alleges that increased imports of low-priced mobile cranes, particularly from Germany, Austria and Japan, and intellectual property (IP) infringement by foreign competition, have harmed the domestic mobile crane manufacturing industry, the Department of Commerce reports. The Department of Homeland Security has identified mobile cranes as a critical industry because of their extensive use in national defense applications, as well as in critical infrastructure sectors.

“Manitowoc filed this petition to urge the Department of Commerce to investigate a recent surge of mobile crane imports that threatens domestic manufacturers,” says Manitowoc President and Chief Executive Officer Barry L. Pennypacker. “These imports jeopardize the domestic industry’s ability to supply cranes to the U.S. military and support critical infrastructure, thereby undermining the national security of the United States. We are confident this investigation will demonstrate the urgent need for the President to provide immediate and meaningful relief for Manitowoc. This petition is about protecting our American workforce and preserving our long-standing commitments to the U.S. military.”

Manitowoc claims the low-priced imports and IP infringement resulted in the closure of one of its two production facilities in the U.S. and eliminated hundreds of skilled manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin. Manitowoc cites the U.S. International Trade Commission’s (USITC)Dataweb to note that imports of mobile cranes increased 152 percent between 2014 and 2019, and a 2015 finding that a Chinese manufacturer misappropriated six trade secrets and infringed on a patent, resulting in the USITC banning the sale of a Chinese crane in the United States.

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Source: Recycling Today
Department of Commerce to investigate mobile crane imports
<![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce plans to initiate an investigation into whether the quantities or circumstances of mobile crane imports into the U.S. threaten to impair national security. According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Commerce, this decision follows a petition filed by the Manitowoc Co. Inc., Milwaukee, on Dec. 19, 2019, requesting that the Department of Commerce launch an investigation into mobile crane imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 as amended. The investigation is being conducted by the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and will provide the opportunity for public comment once the rule is posted in the Federal Register. “This investigation will help determine whether mobile cranes are being imported in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair U.S. national security,” Ross states. Manitowoc alleges that increased imports of low-priced mobile cranes, particularly from Germany, Austria and Japan, and intellectual property (IP) infringement by foreign competition, have harmed the domestic mobile crane manufacturing industry, the Department of Commerce reports. The Department of Homeland Security has identified mobile cranes as a critical industry because of their extensive use in national…