*EPF408 06/22/00
USITC Approves Antidumping Duties on Bulk Aspirin From China
(Cases on Indonesia, Korea polystyrene resin advance) (310)
Washington -- The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to impose antidumping duties on bulk aspirin from China.
In a 6-0 vote on a final determination, the commissioners ruled that the imports injured or threatened U.S. industry.
Imposition of antidumping duties requires affirmative final determinations both from the Commerce Department on dumping and from the USITC on injury.
In May Commerce made its determination, ruling that dumping did occur and calculating dumping margins as follows: Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Factory, 42.77 percent; Jilin Pharmaceutical Import and Export Corporation, 4.72 percent; and China-wide, 144.02 percent.
Dumping is the export of goods 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 fair-value price to the dumped price.
U.S. imports of bulk aspirin from China in 1998 amounted to $3.5 million.
In other cases, the Commerce Department has made preliminary determinations that certain expandable polystyrene resins, used for packing and insulation, from Indonesia and South Korea were dumped on the U.S. market.
The department calculated the dumping margins as follows:
-- South Korea: Cheil Industries, Inc., 1.80 percent (below the threshold for collecting antidumping duties); Shinho Petrochemical Co., Ltd., 5.14 percent; all others, 5.14 percent.
-- Indonesia: PT Risjad Brasali Styrindo, 96.65 percent; all others, 95.79 percent.
Final Commerce determinations are expected by September 5 for Indonesia and November 6 for Korea. In the meantime the U.S. Customs Service will collect a cash deposit or bond on the imports equal to the dumping margins; it would return the money after a negative determination.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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