The Commerce Department charged that exporters from four Asian nations are selling a polyester fiber at below fair value in the U.S.
According to the agency, Indian, Chinese, South Korean, and Taiwanese exporters of fine denier polyester staple fiber, commonly used for nonwovens, furniture, spinning and bedding, sold the product in the U.S. below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets. The exports were worth more than $100 million in 2017.
As a result of the investigation, Commerce instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect various duties from the exporters to level the playing field for American companies.
Commerce originally imposed preliminary antidumping duties on the fiber in December 2017, after investigations found that certain exporters were selling the products at less than fair value.
In its final determinations announced May 24, Commerce slightly altered the cash deposits it assigned to two countries late last year. China's deposit was increased to 65.17% to 103.06% from the previous 52.66% to 170.92% rate; India's was raised to 21.43% from the previous 15.66% level.
Cash deposits for Taiwan remain at 0% to 48.86% and South Korea's still range from 0% to 45.23%.
For 2017, imports of the fiber from China totaled $61.4 million; $23.7 million from India; $11.9 million from South Korea and $7.4 million from Taiwan, according to Commerce.
Concurrent with the Commerce investigation, the U.S. International Trade Commission, or ITC, is conducting its own investigations to determine whether the imports pose a threat to the domestic industry. The ITC is slated to make its final determination on or before July 9.
Should the ITC make negative final determinations, no duties will be collected and the investigations will be dropped.
Commerce has initiated 114 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations since President Donald Trump took office, according to the department. The agency has also begun investigations into imports of woven sacks from Vietnam as well as rubber bands from Thailand, China and Sri Lanka.
