United States - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will impose additional duties of up to 185.3 percent on refrigerator magnets from China that are being sold in the United States at unfairly low prices, the U.S. Commerce Department said Monday in a preliminary decision.

Raw flexible magnets from China already face a 70.41 percent preliminary countervailing duty to offset Chinese government subsidies, as the result of a Commerce Department decision in February. The new anti-dumping duties are in addition to those.

The Commerce Department Monday also announced preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging up to 38.03 percent on raw flexible magnets from Taiwan.

Raw flexible magnets are generally relatively thin, polymer bonded magnetic materials characterized by their flexibility and ease of machinability, which make them ideal for use as refrigerator magnets, the Commerce Department said.

They are also used in a broad range of domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

Magnum Magnetics Corp., a Marietta, Ohio, company that produces a variety of magnet products, filed the case last year, asking for anti-dumping and countervailing duties.

The United States imported 103.2 million units of the magnets valued at $18.2 million in 2007, compared to 83.1 million units valued at $15.7 million in 2005.

(Editing by Sandra Maler)

04.21.08, 5:57 PM ET

Source: www.forbes.com