The USITC continues to push for anti-dumping duties on 2,4-D herbicides from China and India

On May 17, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced that it had determined that there is reasonable indication that U.S. industry has been significantly harmed by 2,4-D herbicides imported from China and India. The commission noted that these products were sold at below fair value in the US market and were subsidized by the governments of China and India.

During the vote, Chairman David S. Johanson, along with commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns and Amy A. Karpel, voted in favor of further investigation of the matter. The U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to investigate imports of 2,4-D herbicides from China and India and plans to make a preliminary countervailing duty determination on or about June 27, 2024, and a preliminary anti-dumping duty determination on or about September 10, 2024.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) expressed disappointment in the USITC's decision. The NCGA president and Minnesota farmers said they were disappointed that the ITC did not adequately consider farmers' feedback about the impact of these tariffs on rural America. The decision will add to farmers' woes at a time when corn prices are low and input costs are rising.

Six U.S. commodity groups, including NCGA, sent a joint letter to the USITC in April urging it to oppose moving forward with the petition. Growers are concerned that relying on a single domestic supplier, Corteva, will not be able to meet all market demand, affecting the livelihoods of U.S. farmers.

Usda forecasts that cash spending on agricultural production will reach a record high in 2024, while total cash receipts from crops are expected to decline 11.7 percent from 2022. The forecast adds to growers' concerns about possible economic pressure from tariffs on 2,4-D herbicides.

The NCGA said it intends to remain involved in the case as it moves into its next phase and will play a role in the final phase of the ITC early next year to protect the interests of American farmers. 

The ITC's public reports, which detail the Committee's views and information gathered during the investigation, are numbered 701-TA-710-711 and 731-TA-1673-1674 (preliminary).