U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping of 4th Tier Cigarettes from South Korea
For Immediate Release
December 7, 2020
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its affirmative final determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of 4th tier cigarettes from South Korea. Commerce determined that exporters from South Korea have dumped 4th tier cigarettes in the United States at a rate of 5.48 percent.
In 2019, imports of 4th tier cigarettes from South Korea were valued at an estimated $82 million.
The petitioner is the Coalition Against Korean Cigarettes, whose members are Xcaliber International (Pryor, OK) and Cheyenne International (Grover, NC). 
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is currently scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about January 19, 2021. If the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue an AD order. If the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated, and no order will be issued.
Read today’s fact sheet on today’s decision.
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration. Since the beginning of the current administration, Commerce has initiated 306 new AD and CVD investigations – a 283 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
The AD law provides American 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 539 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to AD duties.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.
###
