U.S. Panel OKs Duties On PET From India, Taiwan

A U.S. trade panel gave final approval to anti-dumping duties on imports of polyethylene terephthalate film, sheets and strip from India and Taiwan.

The U.S. International Trade Commission voted 5-0 that U.S. producers have been materially harmed by imports from India and Taiwan that the Commerce Department has determined are being sold at less than fair value.

The ITC also ruled ruled 5-0 that subsidized imports from India have harmed U.S. producers.

The U.S. industry consists of eight companies that shipped 366.8 million pounds of PET, valued at $568.8 million, in 2001. Imports from India and Taiwan totaled 49.3 million pounds, valued at $44.9 million in the same year.

The size of final U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties was not immediately available.

In their petition last year, DuPont Teijin Films, Mitsubishi Polyester Film of America and Toray Plastics Inc. asked for dumping margins ranging from 39.9 to 153.5 percent on PET from India and also asked for a 20 percent countervailing duty to offset Indian government subsidies.

For Taiwan, the petitioners asked for dumping margins ranging from 51.3 percent to 132.6 percent.