For Immediate Release:August 11, 2008
Contact: Brittany Eck  (202) 482-3809

COMMERCE FINDS UNFAIR DUMPING OF ELECTROLYTIC MANGANESE DIOXIDE FROM CHINA AND AUSTRALIA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) from China and Australia, which in powder form is used in dry-cell alkaline batteries.

"The dumping of EMD in the United States places American producers at a disadvantage and creates unfair trading conditions in the international marketplace,” said Assistant Secretary for Import Administration David Spooner. “This Administration is committed to ensuring that our manufacturers benefit from strong and fair relationships with our trading partners by aggressively enforcing America's trade remedy laws.”

Commerce has determined that Chinese and Australian exporters sold EMD in the United States at 149.92 percent and 83.66 percent less than normal value, respectively. EMD is a black powder (or plate or chip that can be ground into powder) that has a gamma crystalline structure. Excluded from the scope of the investigations are natural manganese dioxide and chemical manganese dioxide.

China’s mandatory respondent, Guizhou Redstar Developing Import and Export Co., Ltd. received a final calculated rate of 149.92 percent. As this is the highest rate in the China investigation, it will also be applied as the adverse-facts-available rate for the China-wide entity. Australia’s mandatory respondent, Delta EMD Australia Pty Ltd., withdrew from the investigation and received a final rate of 83.66 percent based on adverse facts available. This rate will apply to all other Australian exporters of EMD as well.

Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than normal value.
As a result of the affirmative final determinations, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to collect a cash deposit or bond on entries of EMD from China and Australia based on the final rates for all companies.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to issue its final injury determination in these investigations on or before September 22. If the ITC determines that imports from China and Australia are injuring, or threaten injury to, the domestic industry, Commerce will issue AD orders. If the ITC makes a negative injury determination, the investigations will be terminated.

The petitioner for these investigations is Tronox LLC, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., with an EMD plant in Henderson, Nev.

For more information about Import Administration, please visit www.trade.gov/ia.

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