Commerce finds dumping of silicon metal imports

The Commerce Department has found evidence that silicon metal imports from Australia, Brazil and Norway are being dumped on the U.S. market at less than fair value.    The Commerce Department has found evidence that silicon metal imports from Australia, Brazil and Norway are being dumped on the U.S. market at less than fair value.
   Similarly, the department has found that these imports from Australia, Brazil and Kazakhstan are receiving unfair levels of subsidies from those countries’ governments based on their export performance or use of domestic materials over imports.
   Silicon metal is generally used in the manufacture of steel, solar cells and microchips.
   In its Australia antidumping investigation, Commerce assigned a dumping rate of 51.28 percent to Simcoa Operations Pty Ltd., while other producers and exporters of silicon metal in Australia received a dumping rate of 41.73 percent.
   In its Brazil antidumping investigation, the department assigned a dumping rate of 68.97 percent to Palmyra do Brasil Indústria e Comércio de Silício Metálico e Recursos Naturais Ltda. (formerly known as Dow Corning Silício do Brasil Indústria e Comércio Ltda.), and a dumping rate of 134.92 percent to Ligas de Aluminio S.A.-LIASA. All other Brazilian producers and exporters were assigned a dumping rate of 68.97 percent.
   Commerce assigned a dumping rate of 3.22 percent to Norway’s Elkem AS. All other Norwegian producers and exporters of silicon metal were assigned a dumping rate of 3.22 percent.
   In its Australia countervailing duty investigation, Commerce assigned a subsidy rate of 14.78 percent to Simcoa Operations Pty Ltd., while all other Australian producers and exporters were assigned a subsidy rate of 14.78 percent.
   For its Brazil countervailing duty investigation, the department assigned a subsidy rate of 2.44 percent to Palmyra do Brasil Indústria e Comércio de Silicio Metálico e Recursos Naturais Ltda., while Ligas de Aluminio – LIASA received a subsidy rate of 52.51 percent. All other Brazilian producers and exporters of silicon metal received a subsidy rate of 2.44 percent.
   In the Kazakhstan countervailing duty investigation, Commerce assigned a subsidy rate of 100 percent to Tau-Ken Temir LLP, largely based on its failure to cooperate with the investigation. All other producers and exporters in the country also received a 100 percent subsidy rate.
   The petitioner for the Commerce investigation is Globe Specialty Metals, which has production facilities in Alabama, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.
   Commerce said imports of silicon metal from Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Norway in 2016 were valued at $33.9 million, $60.0 million, $17.5 million and $26.1 million, respectively.
   The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its final determinations in these investigations by April 13. If the commission makes affirmative final determinations that imports of silicon metal from Australia, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Norway harm the domestic industry, Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing orders. If the ITC makes negative determinations of injury, the investigations will end.