US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of low melt polyester staple fiber from South Korea and Taiwan.

The Commerce Department preliminarily determined that exporters from Korea and Taiwan have sold low melt polyester staple fiber in the United States at 0.00 to 16.48 percent and 52.00 percent less than fair value, respectively. The petitioner is Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, America, a company based in South Carolina.

Foreign companies that price their products in the US market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties.

In 2016, imports of low melt polyester staple fiber from Korea and Taiwan were valued at an estimated $76.6 million and $26.8 million, respectively.

“Today’s decision allows US producers of low melt polyester staple fiber to receive relief from the market-distorting effects of foreign producers dumping their goods into the domestic market,” said Ross. “Though politics plays no role in antidumping investigations, President Trump made it clear that we will vigorously enforce our trade laws and provide US industry relief from unfair trade practices.”

As a result of the decision, Commerce will instruct US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of imports of low melt polyester staple fiber from South Korea and Taiwan based on these preliminary rates.

Through the first year of the Trump administration, the Department of Commerce initiated 84 AD and countervailing duty cases, a 58-percent increase when compared to the final year of the Obama administration.

The AD law provides US businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 412 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determinations in these investigations on or about June 8, 2018. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce makes negative final determinations of dumping or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.