By Alan Ross, Editor in Chief

Following the recent ruling by the Court of International Trade that the Commerce Department must once again revisit the antidumping duty rates on large power transformer imports from South Korea, I have looked into more detail at several articles and reports available about the rate of tariffs on transformers manufactured in South Korea.

There are two ways to look at these tariffs and calls for even steeper ones.

First is looking at those tariffs that had been announced well before the current administration went on a trade war. The latter tariffs are political in nature and used to leverage the U.S. position on negotiating trade deals.

But the primary reason to raise tariffs on South Korean transformers was because of an international ruling from the World Trade Organization that slapped antidumping tariffs on South Korean imports. Those are not U.S. political reactionary tariffs, but tariffs based on fairness.

Whether these tariffs have served their purpose of leveling the playing field for U.S., European and other Asian manufacturers is another story, but keeping the two tariffs separated is an important distinction.