The US Department of Commerce issued an affirmative preliminary antidumping determination on imports of Chinese aluminum foil, finding certain Chinese exporters sold their product at less than fair value in the US.
The decision, issued late Friday, found preliminary dumping margins of 162.24% for Dingsheng and 96.81% for Zhongji, the mandatory respondents in the case.
Dingsheng is comprised of Jiangsu Dingsheng New Materials Joint-Stock Co., Ltd.; Hangzhou Teemful Aluminum Co., Ltd.; Hangzhou Five Star Aluminum Co., Ltd.; Dingsheng Aluminum Industries (Hong Kong) Trading Co. Ltd.; Hangzhou Dingsheng Import & Export Co., Ltd.; Walson (HK) Trading Co., Limited; and Inner Mongolia Liansheng New Energy Material Joint-Stock Co., Ltd. Zhongji is comprised of Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Stock and Jiangsu Huafeng Aluminum Industry.
Commerce also found a separate rate of 138.16% for 14 other companies involved in the case, and a China-wide entity preliminary dumping margin of 162.24% for all other companies based on adverse facts available due to a failure to respond to a questionnaire.
As a result of the preliminary affirmative determinations, Commerce will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits based on these preliminary rates.
Commerce is scheduled to make a final decision by February 23, 2018. Concurrently, the US International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its final injury determinations around 45 days after Commerce makes its final determinations, if affirmative.
If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations, and the ITC makes affirmative final determinations then Commerce will issue antidumping orders.
If Commerce or the ITC make negative final determinations, no antidumping orders will be issued.
In August, Commerce found these imports were benefiting from countervailable government subsidies, and imposed rates of 16.56% on Jiangsu Zhongji Lamination Materials Co. Ltd.; 28.33% on Dingsheng Aluminum Industries (Hong Kong) Trading Co. Ltd.; 80.97% on Loften Aluminium (Hong Kong) Ltd. and Manakin Industries LLC; and 22.45% for all other Chinese producers and exporters.
Commerce's investigation includes all imports from China of aluminum foil that is less than 0.2 mm in thickness -- less than 0.0078 inch -- in reels weighing more than 25 lb and that is not backed, etched for use in capacitors, or cut to shape.
According to government statistics, the US' 2016 imports of aluminum foil from China totaled 137,582 mt and were valued at an estimated $389 million.
