US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan.

Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan have sold PET resin in the United States at less than fair value at the following preliminary dumping rates: Brazil – 24.09 percent to 226.91 percent; Indonesia – 13.16 percent; Korea – 8.81 percent to 101.41 percent; Pakistan – 7.75 percent; and Taiwan – 9.02 percent to 11.89 percent.

“The department will use every tool at our disposal to defend US industry against unfair trade practices,” said Secretary Ross. “Today’s decision allows US producers of PET resin to receive relief from the market-distorting effects of potential dumping while the open and transparent process of investigating this matter continues.”

Foreign companies that price their products in the US market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties.

As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of PET resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan based on these preliminary rates.

In 2016, imports of PET resin from Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan were valued at an estimated $51.7 million, $35.7 million, $24 million, $34.1 million, and $109.8 million, respectively.

The petitioners are DAK Americas, LLC (Charlotte, NC), Indorama Ventures USA, Inc. (Decatur, AL), M&G Polymers USA, LLC (Houston, TX), and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, America (Lake City, SC).  Indorama Ventures USA, Inc. is not a petitioner with respect to the Indonesia investigation.

The AD law provides  US businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 432 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determinations in these investigations on or about September 17, 2018.  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.