The US Department of Commerce (DOC) will begin investigating antidumping allegations against Vietnamese makers of uncovered innersprings for mattresses.

US competitors allege Vietnamese innerspring exporters are selling their products at less than fair value in the US.

The US department said Wednesday its investigation would also examine uncovered innersprings from China and South Africa.

The probe follows complaints lodged in late 2007.

The investigation will look at the prices of a range of different-sized innersprings for mattresses.

The DOC said Vietnamese innerspring exporters were accused of cutting selling prices by 116 percent, while Chinese inner-spring makers had slashed the price of their product by between 56 and 235 percent.

South African innerspring exporters were alleged to have dropped their prices by 121 percent.

In early January, an official from Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) said 11 Vietnamese exporters, mostly from the south, were likely to be investigated by the DOC.

In 2006, the US imports of innersprings from Vietnam were estimated at $1.6 million compared to $16.6 million from China and $7.1 million from South Africa, according to the DOC.

According to US statistics, Vietnamese exporters shipped about $612,000 worth the controversial innersprings to the US between January and October last year.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determinations on February 14, with preliminary determinations scheduled for June.

If the ITC makes negative preliminary injury determination, further investigations will be scrapped.

It will be the third time Vietnamese businesses face US lawsuits, with shrimp and pangasius (basa and tra catfish) currently charged with anti-dumping taxes by the US government.