U.S. olive imports ripe for duties

The Commerce Department has determined that U.S. imports of ripe olives from Spain are being dumped on the market and receiving export-oriented subsidies from the Spanish government.    The Commerce Department has determined that U.S. imports of ripe olives from Spain are being dumped on the market and receiving export-oriented subsidies from the Spanish government.
   In its antidumping investigation, the department found that Aceitunas Guadalquivir S.L., Agro Sevilla Aceitunas S.COOP Andalusia and Angel Camacho Alimentacion S.L. have been dumping their olives on the U.S. market at margins of 17.46 percent, 25.5 percent and 16.88 percent, respectively. For all other Spanish olive producers and exporters, Commerce established a final dumping margin of 20.04 percent.
   In its countervailing duty investigation, Commerce calculated a final subsidy rate of 27.02 percent for Aceitunas Guadalquivir; 7.52 percent for Agro Sevilla Aceitunas; and 13.22 percent for Angel Camacho Alimentacion. All other Spanish olive producers and exporters are assigned a final subsidy rate of 14.75 percent by the department.
   Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells its products in the U.S. market at less than fair value, while countervailable subsidies are given to companies by foreign governments to encourage exports or the use of domestic inputs over imports.
   The petitioner for these investigations is the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ripe Olives. Members of the coalition include Bell-Carter Foods and Musco Family Olive Co., both of California.  
   In 2017, imports of ripe olives from Spain were valued at $67.6 million.
   Meanwhile, the U.S. International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its final injury determinations for these investigation by July 24. If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing orders. However, if the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will end and no orders will be issued.