The U.S. Department of Commerce is imposing tariffs on Chinese imports of lightweight thermal paper products ranging from about 33 percent to more than 250 percent under final decisions the agency reached in its unfair trade investigation spurred by a complaint from paper products maker Appleton.

The agency also reached a final decision on a probe of German producers and exporters of lightweight thermal paper that will result in final "anti-dumping" duties on those imports of 6.5 percent, according to a press release from Appleton-based Appleton.

In its decision, the Commerce Department affirmed that certain Chinese producers and exporters of lightweight thermal paper sold the product in the United States at prices below fair value and imposed final anti-dumping duties of 19.77 percent to 115.29 percent on those products.

"Dumping" occurs when a foreign producer sells goods in the United States at prices below those at which it sells in the country of origin or at prices lower than the cost of production.

The agency is also imposing additional countervailing duties of 13.17 percent and 137.25 percent on those products to offset the subsidies that Chinese producers receive from the Chinese government.

The U.S. International Trade Commission will conduct a hearing Oct. 2 regarding injury to the U.S. lightweight thermal paper industry, said Mark Richards, Appleton's chief executive officer. A final decision is expected Oct. 30.

Appleton had filed petitions in September 2007 asking the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose offsetting duties on lightweight thermal paper products imported from China and Germany.

Employee-owned Appleton produces carbonless, thermal, security and performance packaging products. It employs approximately 2,400.