WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American producers of kitchen appliance shelving and racks praised today's final decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to levy antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of kitchen appliance shelving and racks from China. Exporter-specific, combined antidumping and countervailing rates ranged from 57 percent to 245 percent.

Last Fall, the U.S. International Trade Commission preliminarily determined that imports of kitchen appliance shelving and racks were injuring the domestic industry. The ITC will issue its final vote in this case on August 18, 2009. If affirmative, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will require importers of kitchen appliance shelves, racks and baskets to pay cash deposits equal to the combined dumping and countervailing duty margins.

Domestic kitchen appliance shelving and racks producers contended that unfairly priced and illegally subsidized imports of these products from China have injured the U.S. industry by undercutting their prices and taking sales and market share based on unfair trading practices.

The petition filed by the domestic producers in July 2008 requested that the U.S. government impose antidumping duties and countervailing duties on imports of these products from China. Antidumping duties are intended to offset the amount by which a product is sold at less than fair value in the United States (i.e., the amount by which the product is sold below production costs or at a price that is below the price charged in a comparable market), and countervailing duties are intended to offset the amount by which a product is illegally subsidized by the foreign government.

"Imports from China have flooded the U.S. market, rising over 43 percent in recent years and taking significant market share from U.S. producers," commented Paul M. Kara, President of petitioner SSW Holding Company. Steve Rollins, President of petitioner Nashville Wire Products, noted that "the unfairly traded imports from China caused severe financial distress within our industry, leading producers to reduce production, downsize staff and close plants. The Commerce Department's actions should prevent further layoffs and financial losses to our industry."

The petitioners are Nashville Wire Products, Inc., SSW Holding Company, Inc., the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied-Industrial and Service Workers International Union, and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District Lodge 6 (Clinton, Iowa).

The domestic industry is represented by Paul C. Rosenthal and David C. Smith of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. Paul C. Rosenthal is the Managing Partner of the firm's Washington, D.C. office and practices in the International Trade and Customs Law group. David C. Smith is Special Counsel and practices in the International Trade and Customs Law group at Kelley Drye & Warren.

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Source: news.prnewswire.com