USITC gives go-ahead to R134a probe
17th April 2016
USA: Investigations into the alleged dumping of cheap R134a refrigerant on the US market are to continue after trade commissioners decided that US industry could be damaged.
On Friday the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that there is a reasonable indication that the US industry is materially injured by reason of imports of R134a from China that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value.
As a result of the affirmative vote by all six commissioners, the US Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its investigation on imports of R134a from China, with its preliminary antidumping duty determination due on or about August 10.
The investigation began on March 23 following petitioning at the beginning of this month by a US industry coalition which claimed that large and increasing volumes of low-priced imports from China were causing material injury to the US fluorochemicals industry. Chinese R134a imports are said to have increased by more than 35% from 2013 to 2015, and continue to steadily increase.
The petitioners are the American HFC Coalition and its individual members, as well as District Lodge 154 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The HFC Coalition is made up of a number of companies involved in the refrigerants business, including Honeywell, Chemours, Mexichem and Arkema, along with US refrigerant repacker Hudson Technologies and cylinder manufacturers Amtrol and Worthington Cylinders.
The Commission’s public report 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) from China (Investigation No. 731-TA-1313 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 4606, April 2016) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.
The report will be available after May 16, 2016. After that date, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.
Related stories:
https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/us-begins-r134a-anti-dumping-probe/
https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/us-seeks-sanctions-on-chinese-r134a/
