ITC imposes duties on Chinese melamine imports

The U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that domestic manufacturers of the industrial commodity melamine are harmed by imports from China.    The U.S. International Trade Commission has determined that domestic manufacturers of the industrial commodity melamine are harmed by imports from China which the Commerce Department found are subsidized by the Chinese government and sold in the United States at less than fair value. 
   The ITC, however, determined that imports of the same commodity from Trinidad and Tobago do not harm domestic industry. Melamine is used to manufacture a range of industrial and consumer products.
   As a result of the ITC’s affirmative determinations, Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duties on these imports from China.
   In early November, the Commerce found that because the Chinese companies that produce melamine failed to cooperate with its requests for information, all imports of this commodity from China will be subject to the China-wide dumping margin of 363.31 percent. Chinese companies cited in the antidumping investigation include Allied Chemicals Inc., Xinji Jiuyuan Chemical Co. Ltd., and Sichuan Golden-Elephant Sincerity Chemical Co., Ltd.
   Commerce investigators experienced a similar lack of cooperation from Chinese melamine manufacturers in its countervailing duty investigation. The companies include Far-Reaching Chemical Co. Ltd., M and A Chemicals Corp China, Qingdao Unichem International Trade Co. Ltd., and Zhongyuan Dahua Group Co. Ltd. These companies have been assigned a final subsidy rate of 154.58 percent.
   The petitioner for the ITC and Commerce investigations was Cornerstone Chemical Co. of Louisiana.
   In 2014, imports of melamine from China and Trinidad and Tobago were valued at an estimated $14.5 million and $16.9 million, respectively, according to Commerce.