Page 13 - Demo

Slippery rock Gazette
The Stone Detective
“My stone floor is shooting at me!”
(Check it out at my video blog number 6- Proper Perimeter or Expansion Joints- at blogtalkra- dio.com/drfred – or you can just go to Youtube and search for The Stone and Tile Video blog.
I have heard many stories of tiles popping and making these sounds, but I had never wit- nessed one myself– until now. As I looked around, the lady looked like she had gone into shock. She looked at me and said, “Oh my, that was scary.” At this point I knew exactly what hap- pened. I explained to her that the installer did not use the proper expansion joints in the installation. When the walls contract, it places pressure on
July 2020|13 Massive Chinese Trade
Tariffs Approved by USITC
Ihave been in the stone and tile business for nearly 40 years. I have had a stone restoration company, a stone fab shop and installation business, and I have never experienced what I witnessed this past week, in person.
It all began while sipping a cup of joe at my favorite greasy spoon. Yep, they’re open again. The regulars were all chatting and telling the same old stories — six feet apart, though. The re- tired admiral was attempting to flirt with Flo, which was funny cause she would just roll her eyes and wave him off. I guess that’s what I have to look for- ward to in my old age. I’m get- ting there, but not quite there yet.
Just as I was headed out the door my phone rang. “Stone Detective here,” I answered. The voice on the other end was a person who sounded like she just inhaled some helium gas from a party balloon. I almost laughed as she continued, “My marble floor is doing something really strange – It looks like it’s starting to buckle in the middle of my living room. Can you come out and take a look?”
I wanted to inhale some helium myself, and answer her with my best “OH MY!” Mickey Mouse impression, but I kept it professional. I told her I could arrive out there that morn- ing. I got the address, hopped in the old Woody and headed down the road. The entire trip I was wondering why her voice sounded like Mickey Mouse.
I arrived at her house and, I kid you not, she had an big, engraved brass Mickey Mouse door knocker on her front door. This is going to be interesting, I thought.
I used the door knocker, and the lady I spoke with on the phone answered the door wear- ing... you guessed it — a Micky Mouse t-shirt. She squeaked, “Hello!” and I just about lost it — I could barely keep a straight face. As I stood there in the foyer, I looked around and saw what I would describe
Frederick M. Hueston, PhD
as a Disney Shrine. There were posters of Disney movies, some Disney anima- tion cels, a display case of Disney figu- rines, and there was a huge picture win- dow with an etching of what looked like a scene from 101
May 31, a ruling was
ON Commission (USITC):
“On the basis of the record developed in the subject in- vestigations, the United States International Trade Commission (“Commission”) determined that, pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (“the Act”), that (the Tile) indus- try in the United States is materi- ally injured by reason of imports of ceramic tile from China, pro- vided for in heading 6907 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, that have been found by the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) to be sold in the United States at less than fair value (“LTFV”), and to be subsidized by the government of China.”
Background
The Commission instituted these investigations effective April 10, 2019, following re- ceipt of petitions filed with the Commission and Commerce by the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile. The final phase of the investigations was sched- uled by the Commission follow- ing notification of preliminary determinations by Commerce that imports of ceramic tile from China were subsidized within the meaning of section 703(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1671b(b)) and sold at LTFV within the meaning of 733(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673b(b)). Notice of the sched- uling of the final phase of the Commission’s investigations and of a public hearing to be held in connection therewith was given by posting copies of the notice in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, Washington, DC, and by pub- lishing the notice in the Federal Register on December 2, 2019 (84 FR 66010).
Commerce’s affirmative final determinations concluded its anti- dumping duty (AD) and counter- vailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of ceramic tile from China. Commerce determined that producers and/or exporters from China sold ceramic tile at less than fair value in the United States
issued by the United States International Trade
There are many ways a tile installation can go bad, but tile tenting and exploding is one of the more dramatic "tile fails.”
Dalmatians. As she led me into the living room, she told me that she got my name from a friend of hers who I did some work for a few years back.
I smiled and quietly said, “Well, it’s a small world after all.” She turned and looked at me with a sour expression, and then started humming, “It’s a Small World After All,” while giving me the stink-eye. Let me tell you, that tripped my weird-o meter right off the scale.
As we walked into the living room I heard a loud popping sound. It sounded like someone was firing a repeating pop gun in the house. The sounds were so loud that I ducked and almost ran for cover. As I flinched I no- ticed that the tile in the middle of the floor had exploded right in front of me! If only I had my camera on to capture it! I did find a similar video that shows pretty much what I experienced.
the tile causing it to pop. The pressure on the tile reaches a point where it just “lets go.”
At this point I was tempted to pull up the song “Let It Go” from Frozen on my cell phone, but that would be Goofy. (Sorry, just couldn’t resist that one.) I told her the entire installation would need to be torn out and replaced. Another case solved – Zip-a-de-do-dah!
The Stone Detective is a fic- tional character created by Dr. Frederick M. Hueston, PhD, written to entertain and edu- cate. Dr. Fred has written over 33 books on stone and tile in- stallations, fabrication and restoration and also serves as an expert for many legal cases across the world. Fred has also been writing for the Slippery Rock for over 20 years.
Send your comments to f hueston@stoneforensics.com.
at rates ranging from 229.04 per- cent to 356.02 percent. The inves- tigation also found that Chinese producers/exporters from China received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 358.81 percent.
The combined AD/CVD tariffs being assigned by Commerce are based on information provided by Chinese producers/exporters to Commerce during the investiga- tion. For anti-dumping activities, some companies will be assessed 229.04 percent while all others will be under a 356.02 percent rate. All Chinese ceramic-tile pro- ducers/exporters will face a sepa- rate 358.81 percent subsidy rate.
Depending on rate adjustments, the combined tariffs will range be- tween 587 percent to 714 percent.
If the ITC makes affirma- tive final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD and CVD orders. If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated, and no orders will be issued.
Commerce’s investigation came as the result of a petition filed last spring by the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile (CFTCT), a group of eight U.S. ceramic-tile producers. The CFTCT members are American Wonder Porcelain; Crossville Inc.; Dal-Tile Corp.; Del Conca USA Inc.; Florida Tile Inc.; Florim USA; Landmark Ceramics; and StonePeak Ceramics.
Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home mar- kets are subject to AD duties. Foreign companies that receive unfair subsidies from their gov- ernments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks, or production inputs, are subject to CVD duties aimed at directly countering those subsidies.
The findings of the Commission are contained in USITC Publication 5053 (May 2020), entitled Ceramic Tile from China: Investigation Nos. 701-TA-621 and 731-TA-1447 (Final).