Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam.

“The United States is committed to free, fair, and reciprocal trade with these countries, and this case was decided strictly on a full and fair assessment of the facts,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department of Commerce will defend U.S. companies being hurt by foreign manufacturers that refuse to play by the rules.  There are 161 antidumping or countervailing duty orders in place against China, and it is time for them to realize that their actions have consequences.”

The Commerce Department determined that exporters from China have sold tool chests and cabinets in the United States at 97.11 percent to 244.29 percent at less than fair value.  Commerce determined that exporters from Vietnam have sold tool chests and cabinets in the United States at 327.17 percent at less than fair value.

As a result of today’s decisions, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to collect cash deposits from importers of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam based on these final rates.    

In 2016, imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam were valued at an estimated $230 million and $77 million, respectively.

The petitioner is Waterloo Industries, Inc. (Waterloo).  Waterloo manufactures tool chests at its production facility in Sedalia, Missouri.

Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration.  In the first quarter of 2018, the Department of Commerce has already initiated 22 new AD and CVD initiations – a 150 percent increase when compared with the first quarter of the prior year (2017).

The AD law provides U.S. 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 428 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to issue its final determinations on or around May 18, 2018.  If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders on subject merchandise from those markets.  If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.

Click HERE for a fact sheet on today’s decision(s).

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 law and is based solely on factual evidence.

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.