The United States Department of Commerce has finalized determinations in an antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of chemical imports, including HEDP, from the People’s Republic of China.

In 2015, Chinese imports of HEDP, which is a phosphonate used in industrial water treatment, industrial household cleaning products, and personal care products, were valued at an estimated $290.1 million.

“The United States will not stand for the flouting of our trade laws,” said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. “As laid out in the president’s budget blueprint, this administration will make fair and secure trade a priority by strengthening the International Trade Administration’s trade enforcement and compliance functions. This is not the last that bad actors in global trade will hear from us – the games are over.”

The final dumping margin of 179.76 percent was determined for the non-selected respondents eligible for a separate rate. Commerce determined a final dumping margin of 184.01 percent based on adverse facts available for all other producers/exporters in China that are part of the China-wide entity. This was due to their failure to respond to Commerce’s requests for information from three Chinese chemical companies.

AD and CVD laws provide US businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the effects of dumping or unfairly subsidizing imports into markets within the United States, ensuring that each nations’ businesses play on a level field.

The US International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its final determinations around May 4, 2017.