For Immediate Release: April 28, 2008
Contact: Brittany Eck  (202) 482-3809

COMMERCE FINDS UNFAIR DUMPING OF PET FILM FROM BRAZIL, CHINA AND THE UAE
Preliminary Investigation Finds No Dumping for Thailand

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigations on imports of polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip (PET Film), commonly used as a protective cover or as insulation, from Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters from Thailand did not sell PET Film at less than fair value in the United States.

Commerce preliminarily determined that Brazilian, Chinese and UAE exporters sold PET Film in the United States at less than fair value. Brazil’s mandatory respondent, which failed to fully cooperate, received a rate of 44.36 percent based upon adverse facts available. All other Brazilian exporters of PET Film will receive a rate of 28.72 percent. One of China’s mandatory respondents participated in the investigation and received a rate of 46.82 percent, while a second that failed to fully cooperate received the China Wide rate of 76.72 percent based on adverse facts available. The UAE’s mandatory respondent participated in the investigation and received a rate of 2.45 percent, which is also the rate for all other UAE exporters of PET Film.

“Dumping of PET Film in the United States places American producers at a disadvantage and creates an unfair playing field in the international marketplace,” said Assistant Secretary for Import Administration David Spooner. “This Administration is committed to ensuring that our American manufacturers and workers benefit from strong and fair trading relationships with our trading partners by aggressively enforcing our trade remedy laws.”

PET Film is a clear, flexible, transparent, or translucent material produced from PET polymer, a linear, thermoplastic polyester resin. The petitioners for these investigations are: DuPont Teijin Films in Hopewell, Va., Mitsubishi Polyester Film of America in Greer, S.C., SKC, Inc. in Covington, Ga., and Toray Plastics, Inc. in North Kingstown, R.I.

Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair value. If Commerce issues a final affirmative determination of dumping, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission makes a final determination that imports of PET Film from Brazil, China, Thailand and the UAE materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order.

For more information about Import Administration, or for the fact sheet on today’s decision, please visit www.trade.gov/ia.

# # #