South Korea has suggested a 8.68% tariff on Taiwanese PET film makers, while Malaysia has proposed a 14.02% tariff on cold-rolled stainless steel importers

South Korean authorities have ruled that Taiwanese petrochemical firms have caused damage to its industry by dumping products, while Malaysian authorities have determined that damage was caused to firms there by Taiwanese stainless steel exporters selling their products at unfairly low prices, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Saturday.

The Korea Trade Commission (KTC) has suggested following an investigation that an 8.68 percent anti-dumping tariff be imposed on makers of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film in Taiwan, the ministry said.

PET film is an ingredient used in a wide range of products, including packaging materials, solar energy panels, adhesive tape and liquid-crystal displays, the ministry said.

The KTC has suggested that anti-dumping tariffs should be levied by the South Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) against makers of PET film in Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the ministry said.

Thai firms could face anti-dumping tariffs of between 3.67 percent and 3.71 percent, while UAE firms could face rates between 7.98 percent and 60.95 percent, the ministry said, citing South Korean data.

Taiwan is the fourth-largest supplier — after Japan, China and Thailand — of PET film to South Korea, the ministry said, adding that Taiwan sold US$16.95 million worth of PET film to South Korea in 2015, US$18.44 million in 2016 and US$21.71 million last year, taking 4.22 percent, 4.38 percent and 4.62 percent share of the market respectively over the three-year period.

The possible 8.68 percent anti-dumping tariff is expected to affect the competitiveness of Taiwanese PET film firms in the South Korean market, it added.

In November last year, the MOSF imposed a preliminary anti-dumping tariff of 5.23 percent on Taiwanese PET film exporters.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian International Trade and Industry Ministry has suggested imposing anti-dumping tariffs of up to 14.02 percent on Taiwan’s cold-rolled stainless steel exporters, the ministry said.

Malaysia has also suggested levying anti-dumping tariffs of up to 7.27 percent against South Korean exporters of cold-rolled stainless steel, along with tariffs of between 3.66 percent and 23.95 percent against Chinese firms, and tariffs of between 22.86 percent and 111.61 percent against Thai exporters, the ministry said.

Authorities in Malaysia are scheduled to reach a final ruling on the tariffs by Feb. 8, it added.

Taiwan is the largest supplier of cold-rolled stainless steel to Malaysia, the ministry said.

Although exports of cold-rolled stainless steel from Taiwan to Malaysia during the first nine months of last year fell 67 percent to US$6.89 million from the same period a year earlier, Taiwan still accounted for a 47 percent share — the largest — of Malaysia’s total imports of the product.

Separately, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced on Wednesday that it would also initiate an anti-dumping investigation into imports of sun/dust control film from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and South Korea.

This follows a complaint from Garware Polyester Ltd to India’s Directorate-General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties.

Garware is the sole producer of cold-rolled stainless steel in India, the ministry said.

Source: Taipei Times