The U.S. International Trade Commission found there is a “reasonable indication” that hardwood and decorative plywood imports from China, Indonesia and Vietnam are injuring the U.S. market by being sold at less than fair value.
The preliminary decision, made on July 3, comes after the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood filed a petition alleging the three countries are dumping their products into the U.S. at discounted prices.
The Coalition argues these practices have injured the U.S. industry by reducing production, shipments, profits and employment.
“Domestic hardwood and decorative plywood producers and the thousands of American manufacturing jobs they support are being harmed as a result of dumped and subsidized imports from subject countries,” lead counsel to the coalition, Timothy C. Brightbill, said in a statement.
Following the ITC’s preliminary determination, the U.S. Department of Commerce will move forward with its own investigations. The Department of Commerce is expected to issue its preliminary countervailing duty determination in August and its preliminary antidumping duty determination in October.
If both the Department of Commerce and the ITC reach affirmative final determinations, antidumping and countervailing duty orders on hardwood and decorative plywood imports from China, Indonesia and Vietnam will be issued.
