ITC approves anti-dumping investigation into Chinese containers

According to VNA in Beijing, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has approved anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into containers designed to hold dry goods imported from China, paving the way for the US Department of Commerce to impose preliminary tariffs on the above Chinese products in the next few months.

Container ship at Qingdao port, Liaoning province, China. Source: AFP/VNA

In a June 6 announcement, the ITC said the commission voted to affirm that there was substantial evidence that the US industry had suffered material injury due to imports of the above item.

The US Commerce Department will continue its investigations, launched on May 14, into containers imported from China and is expected to make initial countervailing duty decisions in July and antidumping duties in September.

The investigations were initiated at the request of Wisconsin-based Stoughton Trailers, which alleged that Chinese containers were being sold in the U.S. market at a price as low as 84.07 percent below fair value, and that Chinese manufacturers and exporters were receiving unfair government subsidies.

Chinese containers are designed to hold dry goods transported by rail or road.

According to official US figures, it is estimated that last year the country imported about 184 million USD worth of these products from China.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Commerce announced that it will continue to impose anti-dumping duties on acetone imported from Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan (China) for another five years, starting from June 8.

The decision was made after a year-long review of previous anti-dumping measures at the request of domestic acetone producers, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

The five-year anti-dumping duties on the product were first imposed on June 9, 2008, and expired last year.

Acetone is a chemical used as an organic solvent. This product is widely used in the pharmaceutical and paint industries.

According to News