Preliminary Determination in Antidumping Duty Investigation of Difluoromethane from China
On August 21, 2020, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced its preliminary determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of imports of difluoromethane (R-32) from China.
| Country | Company | Dumping Rates |
|---|---|---|
| China | Taizhou Qingsong Refrigerant New Material Co., Ltd.[1] | 161.49% |
| Zibo Feiyuan Chemical Co., Ltd.[1] | 221.06% | |
| Separate Rate[2] | 196.19% | |
| China-Wide Entity | 221.06% |
[1] Mandatory Respondent
[2] Companies receiving a separate rate are listed in the Federal Register notice.
| Event | AD Investigation |
|---|---|
| Petition Filed | January 23, 2020 |
| DOC Initiation Date | February 12, 2020 |
| ITC Preliminary Determination | March 9, 2020 |
| DOC Preliminary Determination | August 20, 2020 |
| DOC Final Determination | November 3, 2020 |
| ITC Final Determination | December 18, 2020 |
| Issuance of Orders [1] | December 25, 2020 |
[1] This will take place only in the event of affirmative final determinations from Commerce and the ITC
Note: Commerce preliminary and final determination deadlines are governed by statute. For AD investigations, the deadlines are set forth in section 733(b) and 735(a)(1)of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended(the Act). For CVD investigations, the deadlines are set forth in sections 703(b) and 705(a) of the Act.
| Country | Volume/Value | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Volume (KG) | 32,482,729 | 40,185,186 | 223,223,345 |
| Value (USD) | $143,268,119 | $196,962,207 | $193,123,854 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, accessed through Global Trade Atlas (Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) Subheading: 2903.39.2035). This HTSUS subheading is a basket category and covers both subject and non-subject merchandise; therefore, the above import statistics may be significantly overstated. The petitioner estimated that imports of R-32 from China were valued at approximately $21.5 million in 2018.
The petitioner is Arkema, Inc. (King of Prussia, PA).
For general information and next steps, please refer to a list of preliminary FAQs.
Additional case information including the scope of the investigation are on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance’s Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). Once you log in, please refer to case number: A-570-121.
To date, Commerce maintains 531 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
Since the beginning of the Trump Administration, Commerce has initiated 286 new AD and CVD investigations - this is a 267 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.