On March 22, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that it is launching antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations on stainless steel sinks from China.
The merchandise covered by the investigations are stainless steel sinks with single or multiple drawn bowls, with or without drain boards, whether finished or unfinished, regardless of type of finish, gauge, or grade of stainless steel, said the US DOC in its statement.
The US DOC alleges a dumping margin ranging from 22. 81 percent to 76.53 percent and an estimated subsidy rate of above two percent.
In 2011, the United States imported drawn stainless steel sinks from China at an estimated total value of $118 million.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determination on or before April 16 this year.
If the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports from China are materially injuring, or threatening material injury to, the domestic industry, the investigation will continue, and the US DOC will be scheduled to make its countervailing and anti dumping preliminary determinations in May and August this year, respectively.
The petitioner for the investigations is Elkay Manufacturing Co. based in Illinois.