US commerce dept probes alleged dumping of vertical metal file cabinets by China

These antidumping and countervailing duty investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by Hirsh Industries LLC (West Des Moines, IA), a commerce department release said.

The alleged dumping margins range from 121.75 to 198.50 per cent.

The petitioner has alleged 20 subsidy programmes, including preferential lending programmes, export subsidy programmes, tax programmes, grant programmes, and various programmes for the provision of goods or services for less than adequate remuneration.

If the commerce department makes affirmative findings in these investigations, and if the US International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that dumped and/or unfairly subsidised US imports of vertical metal file cabinets from China are causing injury to the US industry, the commerce department will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidization found to exist.

In 2018, US imports of vertical metal file cabinets from China were valued at an estimated $45.2 million, the release pointed out.  

Alongside commerce department’s investigations into whether vertical metal file cabinets from China are being dumped and/or unfairly subsidized, the ITC will also conduct its own investigations into whether the US industry and its workforce are being harmed by such imports. The ITC will make its preliminary determinations on or before 14 June 2019. If the ITC preliminarily determines that there is injury or threat of injury, then the commerce department’s investigations will continue, with the preliminary CVD determination scheduled for 24 July 2019, and preliminary AD determination scheduled for 7 October 2019, unless these deadlines are extended.

If the commerce department preliminarily determines that dumping and/or unfair subsidisation is occurring, then it will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to start collecting cash deposits from all US companies importing vertical metal file cabinets from China.

Final determinations in these cases are scheduled for 7 October 2019, for the CVD investigation, and 23 December 2019, for the AD investigation, but those dates may be extended. If the commerce department finds that products are not being dumped and/or unfairly subsidised, or the ITC finds in its final determinations there is no harm to the US industry, then the investigations will be terminated and no duties will be applied.

Since the beginning of the current administration, commerce department has initiated 164 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, which is a 215 per cent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.

The US Department of Commerce currently maintains 481 antidumping and countervailing duty orders, which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.