The U.S. Commerce Department on Friday announced its preliminary affirmative determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation against imports of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) from China, signaling that it may pose punitive duties on the products.
The department said that such products from China had been sold in the United States at dumping margins ranging from 137.61 percent to 179.97 percent.
As a result of the preliminary affirmative determinations, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits based on these preliminary rates.
The Commerce launched AD and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations against imports of such products from China in April 2016, in response to a request from Compass Chemical International LLC based in Georgia.
The Commerce made its preliminary affirmative determination in the CVD investigation in August, saying that producers and exporters of such products from China had received countervailing subsidies from 1.04 percent to 36.33 percent.
Punitive duties would be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) make affirmative final rulings.
The Commerce is scheduled to make its final determinations in March next year and the USITC is scheduled to make its final determination in April 2017.
HEDP are chemicals used in industrial water treatment, household cleaning products and personal care products. Imports of these products from China were estimated at about 290.1 million U. S. dollars in 2015, according to U.S. official data.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has kept urging Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.
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