ITC: Chinese 53-foot containers not ‘dumped’

The U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that domestic manufacturers of 53-foot dry shipping containers aren’t harmed by similar Chinese imports.    The U.S. International Trade Commission on Tuesday determined that domestic manufacturers of 53-foot dry containers are not harmed by similar imports from China, which the Commerce Department had previously alleged are subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value. 
   As a result of the ITC’s determinations, no antidumping or countervailing duty orders will be issued on these Chinese-made imports.
   Stoughton Trailers in Wisconsin requested the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in April 2014. There are two companies that manufacture these trailers in the United States, with plants in Wisconsin and Alabama.
   Stoughton claimed at the time of filing its petition with the ITC that during the past several years the market share for domestic containers garnered by Chinese manufacturers had increased to more than 95 percent.
   “China has ‘dumped’ domestic container products into the U.S. market at prices that are well below fair value,” said Robert P. Wahlin, president of Stoughton Trailers, at the time. “Furthermore, Chinese manufacturers receive an array of government subsidies, not to mention that country’s manipulation of currency exchange rates. All of these factors equate to an enormous unfair advantage for Chinese manufacturers of these products. 
   “This unfair advantage has injured Stoughton Trailers, LLC specifically, and has precluded the competitive establishment of a 53-foot cargo container manufacturing industry in the U.S. generally,” he added.
   By AS Daily’s noon press time, no comment had yet been released by Stoughton Trailers related to the ITC’s final determination.