US sets preliminary dumping margins on China's drycontainers

21/11/2014 12:00 - 469 Views

WASHINGTON - The US Commerce Department on Thursday set preliminary dumping marginson imports of 53-foot domestic dry containers from China, signaling that it may impose punitiveduties on the products.

The department made its preliminary affirmative determination that domestic dry containers fromChina had been sold in the United States at dumping margins ranging from 24.27 percent to153.24 percent.

Punitive duties would be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the US InternationalTrade Commission (ITC) made affirmative final rulings, which are scheduled in April 2015 andMay 2015, respectively. If the ITC makes a negative determination, the investigations will beterminated.

The investigations are in response to a petition filed by Stoughton Trailers based in the state ofWisconsin. The company alleged that the products from China were sold below the fair value ofthe products in the US market with dumping margin of 84.07 percent, and Chinese producersand exporters also received improper government subsidies.

Fifty-three-foot domestic dry containers are durable, reusable, weatherproof, closed vancontainers approximately 53 feet in exterior length, designed for the intermodal transport ofgoods other than bulk liquids.

Imports of these products from China were estimated at $184 million last year, according to USofficial data.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has kept urging Washington to abide by its commitmentagainst protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.

Source: chinadaily.com.cn