US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations on silicon metal, finding that exporters from Australia, Brazil, and Norway have sold this merchandise in the United States at less than fair value.

The Commerce Department will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of silicon metal from Australia, Brazil, and Norway based on these preliminary rates.

“The US values its relationships with these nations, but even friendly countries must play by the rules,” said Ross. “We will continue to review all information related to this preliminary determination while standing up to the American worker and business.”

In 2016, imports of silicon metal from Australia, Brazil, and Norway were valued at an estimated $33.9 million, $60.0 million, and $21.6 million, respectively.

The petitioner is Globe Specialty Metals, Inc. Its production facilities are located in Alabama, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia.

From January 20, 2017, through October 5, 2017, Commerce initiated 65 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 48 percent increase from the previous year, and a 16-year peak in the number of investigations initiated in a single fiscal year. For the same time period in 2016, the Commerce Department had initiated 44 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Commerce currently maintains 411 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade. In fiscal year 2016, the United States collected $1.5 billion in duties on $14 billion of imported goods found to be underpriced or subsidized by foreign governments.

Commerce is currently scheduled to announce its final AD determinations on February 16. 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.