*EPF512 05/05/00
Antidumping Duties Imposed on Korea, Taiwan Polyester Stuffing
(USITC commissioners find injury to U.S. industry) (260)

Washington -- The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to impose antidumping duties on some imports of polyester staple fiber from South Korea and Taiwan.

In a May 5 vote, the commissioners rejected 5-1 antidumping duties on low-melt polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan; they approved 6-0 duties on all other forms of the product from the two economies.

Polyester staple fiber is generally used as stuffing in sleeping bags, mattresses, ski jackets, comforters, cushions, pillows, and furniture.

Imposition of antidumping duties requires affirmative final determinations both from the U.S. Department of Commerce that dumping occurred and from the USITC that the imports injured U.S. industry.

The Commerce Department made its affirmative final determination in March, calculating dumping margins up to 14 percent for Korean companies and up to 9 percent for Taiwanese companies.

Now the USITC has made its affirmative final determination on injury.

To avoid disclosing proprietary information, neither Commerce nor USITC reported the value of these imports from Korea and Taiwan, but USITC did estimate the import share of the U.S. market at 40.4 percent.

Dumping is the export of goods at below the price in the home market or a third market or below the cost of production. The dumping margin is the ratio of the fairly valued price to the dumped price.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
NNNN