Aluminum Association Applauds Final Affirmative Determinations in Unfair Trade Investigations on Aluminum Foil from China

Aluminum Association Applauds Final Affirmative Determinations in Unfair Trade Investigations on Aluminum Foil from China

ARLINGTON, VA – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its final determinations that imports of certain aluminum foil from China are being sold at less than fair value (or “dumped”) in the United States and that aluminum foil producers in China are benefiting from actionable government subsidies.  The final antidumping and countervailing duty margins calculated by the Commerce Department are as follows:
 

Antidumping Investigation Margins
Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Co., Ltd. 48.64 percent
Hangzhou Dingsheng Import & Export Co., Ltd. 106.09 percent
Separate Rate for Cooperative Respondents 84.94 percent
China-wide Rate 106.09 percent

 

Countervailing Duty Investigation Margins
Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Co., Ltd. 17.14 percent
Hangzhou Dingsheng Import & Export Co., Ltd. 19.98 percent
"All Other" Rate 18.56 percent
Non-Cooperative Respondent Rate 80.97 percent
“The Aluminum Association and its foil-producing members are extremely pleased with the Commerce Department’s final determinations that aluminum foil from China is being sold unfairly in the United States,” said Heidi Brock, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association.  “We appreciate Secretary Ross’s leadership in enforcing rules-based global trade.  U.S. aluminum foil producers are among the most competitive producers in the world, but they cannot compete against products that are sold at unfairly low prices and subsidized by the Government of China.”
 

The Commerce Department’s determinations mark the end of its proceedings initiated following the filing in March 2017 of antidumping and countervailing duty petitions by the Aluminum Association’s Trade Enforcement Working Group, marking the first time the Aluminum Association has filed unfair trade cases on behalf of its members in its nearly 85-year history. 

The next step in the trade cases will be the United States International Trade Commission’s (“ITC”) final phase determination of whether imports from China are a cause of material injury or threaten to materially injure domestic producers of certain aluminum foil.  The ITC is tentatively scheduled to vote on March 15, 2018.    

U.S. aluminum foil production supports more than 20,000 direct, indirect, and induced American jobs, and accounts for $6.8 billion in economic activity. 

The aluminum foil subject to the Commerce Department’s investigation includes all imports from China of aluminum foil that is 0.2 mm or less in thickness (less than 0.0078 inches) in reels weighing more than 25 pounds and that is not backed, etched for use in capacitors, or cut to shape.  The aluminum foil subject to the investigations is used in a variety of consumer and industrial applications, with specific uses that include: household foil, flexible and semi-rigid cookware, product packaging, automotive and HVAC heat exchangers, among other common uses.  

The Aluminum Association Trade Enforcement Working Group is represented in these actions by John M. Herrmann, Paul C. Rosenthal, Kathleen W. Cannon, and Grace W. Kim of the law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP.
 

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About the Aluminum Association
The Aluminum Association represents aluminum production and jobs in the United States, ranging from primary production to value added products to recycling, as well as suppliers to the industry. The Association is the industry’s leading voice, providing global standards, business intelligence, sustainability research and industry expertise to member companies, policymakers and the general public. The aluminum industry helps manufacturers produce sustainable and innovative products, including more fuel-efficient vehicles, recyclable packaging, greener buildings and modern electronics.  In the U.S., the aluminum industry creates $186 billion in economic activity. For more information visit http://www.aluminum.org, on Twitter @AluminumNews or at Facebook.com/AluminumAssociation.