First U.S. Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions of 2011 Filed Today

In the first U.S. antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) cases of 2011, U.S. companies today filed AD/CVD petitions on imports of steel wheels from China and refrigerators from South Korea and Mexico. These AD/CVD petitions are the first ones filed in the U.S. since AD/CVD petitions were filed against wood flooring from China in October 2011.

Bottom-Mount Combination Refrigerator-Freezers from South Korea and Mexico

In the first case filed today, Whirlpool Corporation filed AD and CVD petitions against bottom-mount refrigerators from South Korea and an AD petition against the same product from Mexico. According to Whirlpool two Korean manufacturers, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, export their products to the U.S. from manufacturing facilities in both Korea and Mexico. The Whirlpool products impacted by these imports are made in Amana, Iowa, where Whirlpool employs approximately 2,000 people.

Steel Wheels from China

In the second case filed today, Accuride Corporation, based in Evansville, Indiana, and Hayes Lemmerz International Inc., based in Northville, Michigan,filed AD and CVD petitions on steel wheels from China. Steel wheels are used on passenger cars, light trucks, sport utility and commercial utility vehicles.

Based on the statutory schedule for these trade remedy cases, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is expected to issue their preliminary injury determinations in mid-May 2011. Assuming an affirmative preliminary injury determination by the ITC, the Department of Commerce’s preliminary decision on the level of subsidies is expected in August 2011 and on dumping in October 2011. The final decisions will be issued by the Department of Commerce and ITC in the second quarter of 2012.