The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has announced its decision to initiate antidumping (AD) duty and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on imports of wire decking from China.
The investigations follow the petitions filed by US domestic producers AWP Industries, Inc. (KY), ITC Manufacturing, Inc. (AZ), J&L Wire Cloth, Inc. (MN), Nashville Wire Products Mfg. Co., Inc. (TN), and Wireway Husky Corporation (NC).
The alleged dumping margin in these investigations ranges from 143 to 316 percent, and the subsidy rate is above de minimis (de minimis is less than one percent for developed countries or less than two percent for developing countries).
The products covered by these investigations are welded wire rack decking produced from carbon or alloy steel wire that has been welded into a mesh pattern. The wire mesh is reinforced with structural supports and designed to be load bearing. Wire decking reinforced with structural supports is designed generally for industrial and other commercial storage rack systems, and currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the US (HTSUS) under item number: 9403.90.8040. Wire decking may also be entered under HTSUS 7217.10, 7217.20, 7217.90, 9403.20.0020, and 9403.20.0030.
According to the ITC's fact sheet on these investigations, from 2006 to 2008 imports of wire decking from China increased 49 percent by volume and amounted to an estimated $317 million in 2008, compared to $213 million in 2006 and $258 million in 2007.
The ITC is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determination on or about July 20. If the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, the domestic industry, the investigations will continue, and the DOC will be scheduled to make its preliminary CVD determination on August 31, and its preliminary AD determination on November 12.