The US Department of Commerce wants more time to complete its first administrative review of anti-dumping orders on steel wire hangers from China.

The preliminary results were due by 3 July 2010. However the department says that it is not practicable to complete these within the time period set and has extended the deadline to 8 November 2010.

In a statement it says: “It is not practicable to complete the preliminary results of this administrative review within the original time limit because the respondent selection process was complicated due to the conflicting comments submitted by interested parties”.

The department “requires additional time to analyse questionnaire responses, issue supplemental questionnaires and evaluate surrogate value submissions for purposes of the preliminary results.”

In February this year, a coalition of USA manufacturers presented “compelling evidence” that certain Chinese manufacturers of steel wire products, including garment hangers, were evading anti-dumping duties via third countries.

The US Coalition for Enforcement of Anti-dumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, which includes wire hanger producer M&B Metal Products of Leeds, Alabama, said that this deliberate evasion of anti-dumping orders is costing the US Treasury at least $84million annually.

The coalition also claimed that transshipment of wire hangers - primarily from Taiwan but also via Vietnam, Korea, Hong Kong, Canada and Mexico - has resulted in the evasion of more than $12million in duties and the loss of 220 domestic jobs.