U.S. Commerce Department defers anti-dumping decision on China aluminium foil

In a statement published on Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department said that it would defer the preliminary determination in an anti-dumping duty investigation into China aluminum foil imports by the US. The delay according to the department, would allow it "to fully analyse information pertaining to China's status as a non-market economy (NME) country."

Concerned over the dramatic growth of imports of aluminium foil from China to the US in 2016, when it was valued at an estimated $389 million, U.S. aluminium foil producers filed a petition with the U.S. government accusing China of dumping foils in the United States.

In August, Commerce imposed preliminary anti-subsidy duties of about 17% to 81% on different types of China aluminium foil.

The anti-dumping probe, according to the Commerce Department, would also simultaneously launch a review of the relevance of the market economy status to China, a designation that would limit the calculation of anti-dumping duties on Chinese products.

"In all cases, the Department conducts a full and fair assessment of the facts," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. "This extension will ensure that the highest standards are followed in this case as we seek to guarantee fair treatment for U.S. workers and businesses."

The terms of China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001 allowed other WTO members to use a third country's prices to assess whether Chinese goods were being sold below market value.

That clause expired last December and China has requested the United States and the European Union to drop their use of such surrogate pricing, which led to higher U.S. anti-dumping duties on imported Chinese goods.

Commerce said it would issue its preliminary determination on the anti-dumping and China's non-market economy status - by Nov. 30, and a final duty determination 75 days later.