The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued final orders establishing countervailing and antidumping duties against rubber bands imported from China.
The Feb. 19 Federal Register notice sets China-wide countervailing duties of 27.27 percent on the rubber bands.
As for antidumping duties, the level is 125.77 percent for all imports, including mandatory respondents Graceful Imports & Exports Co. Ltd., Moyoung Trading Co. Ltd. and Ningbo Syloon Imports & Exports Co. Ltd.
These were the rates Commerce established in findings it issued Nov. 14.
On Dec. 14, the International Trade Commission made a final affirmative determination of material injury against the U.S. rubber band industry, but did not transmit the decision to Commerce until Feb. 11 because of the partial government shutdown.
Hot Springs, Ark.-based Alliance Rubber Co. filed petitions with the ITC in January 2018, seeking relief against Chinese rubber band imports under Sections 701 and 731 of the Trade Act.
Alliance also sought relief against imports from Sri Lanka and Thailand, but the ITC decided in March 2018 to terminate the investigation against Sri Lanka. In September, Commerce levied antidumping duties of 5.86 percent against Thai rubber band imports.
