Hoping to prevent U.S. aluminum foil producers from being wrapped up by cheap Chinese imports, the Commerce Department announced that the United States will begin collecting preliminary antidumping duties on these imports from China.
The Commerce Department on Friday announced that the United States will begin collecting antidumping duties on aluminum foil imports from China.
Commerce has instructed Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from U.S. importers of Chinese-made aluminum foil at dumping margins ranging from 96.81 percent to 162.24 percent.
Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells its product in the U.S. market at less than fair value.
The department preliminarily found that Jiangsu Dingsheng New Materials Joint-Stock Co., Ltd.; Hangzhou Teemful Aluminum Co., Ltd.; Hangzhou Five Star Aluminum Co., Ltd.; Dingsheng Aluminum Industries (Hong Kong) Trading Co. Ltd.; Hangzhou Dingsheng Import & Export Co., Ltd.; Walson (HK) Trading Co., Ltd.; and Inner Mongolia Liansheng New Energy Material Joint-Stock Co., Ltd., known collectively as “Dingsheng,” are subject to the highest dumping margin rate of 162.24 percent.
Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Stock Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Huafeng Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd., known collectively as “Zhongji,” were assessed a dumping margin rate of 96.81 percent.
Commerce said 14 other Chinese aluminum foil companies will receive a dumping margin rate of 138.16 percent, while all other Chinese exporters of aluminum foil to the United States will be subject to a dumping margin rate of 162.24, due to their lack of cooperation with Commerce’s antidumping investigation.
According to Commerce, U.S. aluminum foil imports from China in 2016 were valued at $389 million.
The Aluminum Association Trade Enforcement Working Group petitioned Commerce for the antidumping investigation on March 9.
“Following the positive preliminary countervailing duty determination this summer, the association and its foil-producing members are very pleased with this finding that again underscores the Commerce Department’s commitment to combatting unfair trade,” said Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association, in a statement.
“U.S. aluminum foil producers are among the most competitive producers in the world, but they cannot compete against products that are sold at unfairly low prices and subsidized by the government of China,” she added.
According to the trade association, U.S. aluminum foil production supports more than 20,000 American jobs, and accounts for $6.8 billion in economic activity.
The aluminum foil subject to Commerce’s investigation includes Chinese aluminum foil that is less than 0.2 mm in thickness (less than 0.0078 inches) in reels weighing more than 25 pounds and is not backed, etched for use in capacitors, or cut to shape. The subject foil is used in a variety of consumer and industrial applications, such as household foil, flexible and semi-rigid cookware, product packaging, and automotive and heat exchangers.
Commerce is currently scheduled to announce its final antidumping determination for this investigation on Feb. 23, 2018. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination of dumping, and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes an affirmative final determination of injury to U.S. industry, which is expected by April 9, 2018, Commerce will then issue a final antidumping order. If Commerce makes a negative final determination of dumping, or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no antidumping order will be issued.
U.S. imposes duties on Chinese aluminum foil imports
