U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Antidumping Duty Determination on Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene from Korea
For Immediate Release
October 1, 2020
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of ultra-high weight polyethylene from Korea.
Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters from Korea have dumped ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the United States at a rate of 7.80 percent.
As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene from Korea based on the preliminary rate noted above.
The petitioner is Celanese Corporation (Irving, Texas).
Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determination in this case on or about February 18, 2021.
If Commerce’s final determination is affirmative, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination on or about April 5, 2021. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination of dumping and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue an AD order. If Commerce makes a negative final determination of dumping or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will be terminated and no order will be issued.
In 2019, imports of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene from Korea were valued at an estimated $12.6 million.
Read the 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 286 new AD and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations – a 267 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
The antidumping duty 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 540 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 antidumping duties.
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 solely on facts submitted to the public record.
