*EPF114 10/25/2004
Dumping Investigation of Resin Imports Advanced by Commerce
(Department's preliminary ruling concerns imports from four Asian markets) (420)

Washington -- Imports of certain type of resin from four Asian markets were dumped on the U.S. market, the Commerce Department says.

In an October 21 preliminary affirmative ruling, the department said that bottle-grade polyethylene terephthalate (BG PET) resin imports from India, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand were sold at less than fair value in the United States and calculated dumping margins ranging up to 52.54 percent. BG PET resin is used to manufacture bottles, sheet and strapping for the packaging industry.

Specific preliminary margins are:

-- India: Reliance Industries Ltd. at 52.54 percent, all others at 21.23 percent;
-- Indonesia: P.T. Polypet Karyapersada at 27.61 percent, P.T. SK Keris at 27.61 percent, P.T. Indorama Synthetics Tbk at 0.74 percent (below threshold for imposing duties), all others at 18.65 percent;
-- Taiwan: Far Eastern Textile and all others at 0.09 percent (below threshold for imposing duties); and
-- Thailand: Thai Shinkong Industry Corporation Ltd. at 41.28 percent, all others at 26.03 percent.

Imposition of anti-dumping duties requires final affirmative determinations both from the Department of Commerce that dumping occurred and from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) that the imports injured or threatened U.S. industry.

The department is expected to make a final determination on imports from Indonesia by January 3, 2005, and in investigations concerning the three other markets by March 11, 2005. The USITC is scheduled to issue its final ruling in these three latter cases by April 25, 2005. The date of a USITC determination on imports from Indonesia has yet to be determined.

In the meantime, the U.S. Customs service will be collecting duties or bonds on any subject imports. The money will be returned in case of a negative determination.

In 2003, U.S. BG PET resin imports from the four markets amounted to $167.1 million.

USITC also has ruled in another case involving Taiwan. The commission ended October 21 a dumping investigation on imports of polyvinyl alcohol from Taiwan when it issued a preliminary ruling that found no evidence of those imports injuring or threatening U.S. domestic producers.

Dumping is the import of goods at a price below the home-market or a third-country price or below the cost of production. A dumping margin represents by how much the fair-value price exceeds the dumped price.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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