Commerce finds uncoated paper import dumping

The Commerce Department, in its preliminary determinations, has found that imports of certain uncoated paper from Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia and Portugal have been dumped on the U.S. market.    The Commerce Department, in its preliminary determinations, has found that imports of certain uncoated paper from Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia and Portugal have been dumped on the U.S. market.
   Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair market value.
   In the case of Australia, Commerce assigned a preliminary dumping margin to Paper Australia Pty. Ltd. of 40.65 percent and other Australian producers/exporters a 40.65 percent dumping margin.
   Brazil’s International Paper do Brasil Ltda. And International Paper Exportadora Ltda. received a preliminary dumping margin of 42.42 percent, while Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. received a preliminary margin of 33.09 percent and all other producers and exports received a 37.76 percent dumping margin.
   In China, Asia Symbol (Guangdong) Paper Co. Ltd., Asia Symbol (Shandong) Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd., and Greenpoint Global Trading (Macao Commercial Offshore) Ltd. received a preliminary dumping margin of 97.48 percent. Since Shngdong Sun Paper Industry Joint Stock Co. and UPM (China) Co, Ltd. declined to cooperate with Commerce’s investigation, they were assigned the China-wide entity dumping margin of 193.30 percent.
   Indonesia’s April Fine Paper Macao Commercial/PT Anugerah Ketas Utama/PT Riau Andalan Kertas received a preliminary dumping margin of 0 percent, while those who did not cooperate in Commerce’s investigation, namely Great Champ Trading Ltd. and Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper TBK/Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia/PT Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills, received a dumping margin of 51.75 percent and all other producer/exporters in the country received a dumping margin of 34.5 percent.
   In Portugal, Portucel S.A. received a preliminary dumping margin of 29.53 percent and all other producers/exporters in the country also received a dumping margin from Commerce of 29.53 percent.
   As a result of Commerce’s preliminary affirmative determinations, it will instruct Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits based on the preliminary rates.
   The petitioners for the Commerce investigation are United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union in Pennsylvania; Domtar Corp. of South Carolina; Finch Paper in New York; Packaging Corp. of America of Illinois; and P.H. Glatfelter Co. in Pennsylvania.
   According to Commerce, imports of uncoated paper in 2014 from Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, and Portugal were valued at $61 million, $211 million, $54 million, $200 million, and $164 million, respectively.
   Commerce is scheduled to make its final determination into this antidumping investigation by Jan. 7, 2016. However, if the International Trade Commission finds no dumping of uncoated paper from a particular country, then the antidumping order will be rescinded for that country’s exports. The ITC is scheduled to make its final injury determinations for this investigation in February 2016.