U.S. Department of Commerce initiates Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty investigations of imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China

Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the initiation of new antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations to determine whether certain plastic decorative ribbon from China is being dumped in the United States or if producers in China are receiving unfair subsidies.

“When a trade case is initiated it begins an open and transparent process that allows American companies, workers, and communities to gain relief from the market-distorting effects of injurious dumping and subsidization of imports,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department will act swiftly, while completing a full and fair assessment of the facts, to ensure that U.S. businesses and workers have a fair chance to compete.”

These AD and CVD investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by Berwick Offray, LLC (Berwick, PA) on December 27, 2017. The estimated dumping margins alleged by the petitioner range from 74.34 to 370.04 percent for China. The subsidy programs alleged include preferential lending, various tax incentives and export assistance, and the provision of plastic inputs by the government of China at less than adequate remuneration.

In the AD investigation, the Commerce Department will determine whether imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China are being dumped in the U.S. market at less than fair value.

In the CVD investigation, the Commerce Department will determine whether Chinese producers of certain plastic decorative ribbon are receiving government subsidies.

If the Commerce Department determines that certain plastic decorative ribbon from China is being dumped into the U.S. market or that China is providing government subsidies, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that dumped and/or unfairly subsidized U.S. imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China are causing injury to the U.S. industry, the Commerce Department will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidization found to exist.

In 2016, imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China were valued at an estimated $18.1 million.