The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) decided in a 5-0 vote that the U.S. industry is not injured or threatened with material injury by imports of hardwood plywood from China. As a result, no antidumping or countervailing duty orders will be issued.
This is the latest development in a case that began in September 2012, when the Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood (CFTHP) petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce and ITC claiming that Chinese plywood was subsidized and sold in the U.S. at a less-than-fair value. In April the DOC decided in favor of the CFTHP and assigned antidumping duties between 0.62 and 63.96 percent. This unanimous decision by the ITC, however, means no duties will be collected.
"This vote was a win for American businesses, jobs, and consumers," said Cindy Squires, executive director of the International Wood Products Association (IWPA) in a release. "The industry has been uncertain for months over the outcome of this case, and with today's vote can turn their attention back to their businesses. We look forward to returning to industry growth in both domestic and imported wood products."
In a similar case initiated in October 2010 regarding Chinese engineered wood flooring, the ITC recently upheld its November 2011 decision that Chinese companies are dumping underpriced engineered wood flooring products on the U.S. market, supporting the antidumping and countervailing duties set on those products by the DOC.
The CFTHP was not immediately available for comment on the plywood case.
