US commerce Dept finds China aluminium sheet sold at unfairly low prices

The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that imports of common alloy aluminium sheet from China are being sold at less than fair value in the US market. The Department calculated preliminary antidumping margins of 167.16 percent of the value of the imported aluminium sheet from China, the Aluminum Association said on Monday.

Heidi Brock, President and CEO of the Aluminum Association said: “The association and its member companies that produce common alloy aluminium sheet are very pleased with this finding that again underscores the Commerce Department’s commitment to combatting unfair trade.”

 “For too long, the Government of China has been unfairly and illegally subsidizing its aluminium industry, leading to massive market overcapacity and challenging producers across the value chain.  Today’s action by the Commerce Department is exactly the kind of strong, targeted trade enforcement we need in support of the rules-based global trading system.”

The Department calculated an antidumping margin of 167.16 percent for Henan Mingtai Al Industrial Co., Ltd. and its affiliates. The Commerce Department relied on the antidumping margin calculated for Henan Mingtai Al Industrial, Co., Ltd. to establish the antidumping margins for Nanjie Resources Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang GKO Aluminum Stock Co., Ltd.

“The Commerce Department also calculated an antidumping margin of 167.16 percent for companies that cooperated with the agency’s investigation and requested separate rate status, but were not individually investigated.  Finally, the Department preliminarily established an antidumping margin of 167.16 percent for all other Chinese producers and exporters that did not participate in the Department’s investigation,” according to the Aluminum Association press release.

The Commerce Department is expected to issue its final antidumping and countervailing determinations in late October or early November 2018.