ITC unanimously finds material injury in China rubber band case

By a 5-0 vote, the U.S. International Trade Commission has made a final determination of material injury to U.S. rubber band makers because of imports from China.

The ITC's Dec. 14 vote means that the U.S. Department of Commerce's antidumping and countervailing duty margins against Chinese rubber band makers become final.

In its Nov. 14 action, Commerce levied antidumping duties of 27.27 percent against all Chinese rubber band importers.In the countervailing duty investigation, Commerce levied duties of 125.77 percent against mandatory respondents Graceful Imports & Exports Co. Ltd., Moyoung Trading Co. Ltd. and Ningbo Syloon Imports & Exports Co. Ltd.

This was the same rate the agency assigned to all other Chinese rubber band producers and importers.

Hot Springs, Ark.-based Alliance Rubber Co. filed a petition with the ITC in January 2018 under Sections 701 and 731 of the Trade Act.

Alliance alleged that rubber band imports from China, Thailand and Sri Lanka were pricing U.S. rubber bands out of the market, causing lost sales and production and job losses for Alliance.The ITC voted in March to terminate the investigation against Sri Lanka, but continue those against China and Thailand.

In September, Commerce levied antidumping duties of 5.86 percent against most Thai rubber band importers. It also determined preliminarily that critical circumstances existed in the case of Graceful, Moyoung and Ningbo.

The ITC is scheduled to officially notify Commerce of its decision Dec. 27 and release its report on the China rubber band case by Jan. 17.

Officials of Alliance could not immediately be reached for comment.