The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is threatened with material injury by reason of imports of hand trucks and certain parts thereof from China that the U.S. Department of Commerce has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.

All six Commissioners voted in the affirmative.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determination, the U.S. Department of Commerce will issue antidumping duty orders on imports of these products from China.

The Commission's public report Hand Trucks and Certain Parts Thereof from China (Investigation No. 731-TA-1059 (Final), USITC Publication 3737, November 2004) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

Copies may be obtained after December 13, 2004, by calling 202-205-1809 or from the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be made by fax to 202-205-2104.

Product Description: The product covers hand trucks manufactured from any material, whether assembled or unassembled, complete or incomplete, suitable for any use, and certain parts thereof, namely the vertical frame, the handling area and the projecting edges or toe plate, and any combination thereof. A complete or fully assembled hand truck is a hand-propelled barrow consisting of a vertically disposed frame having a handle or more than one handle at or near the upper section of the vertical frame; at least two wheels at or near the lower section of the vertical frame; and a horizontal projecting edge or edges, or toe plate, perpendicular or angled to the vertical frame, at or near the lower section of the vertical frame. The projecting edge or edges, or toe plate, slides under a load for purposes of lifting and/or moving the load. The merchandise subject to this investigation is provided for in statistical reporting numbers 8716.80.5010, 8716.80.5090, and 8716.80.5060 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

Status of Proceedings:

1. Type of investigation:  Final antidumping.
2. Petitioners:  Gleason Industrial Products and its jointly owned and operated affiliate,
     Precision Products.
3. Investigation instituted by USITC:  November 13, 2003.
4. Hearing:  October 7, 2004.
5. USITC vote:  November 10, 2004.
6. USITC notification of Department of Commerce:  November 22, 2004.

U.S. Industry:(1)

1. Number of U.S. producers in 2004:  21.
2. Production volume is largely in the Midwest and California.
3. Employment of production and related workers in 2004:  371.
4. U.S. producers' domestic shipments of finished hand trucks in 2003:
          1,467,009 units (valued at $53.4 million).
5. Apparent U.S. consumption of finished hand trucks in 2003: 2,879,565 units (valued at
          $78.8 million).
6. Ratio of quantity of total imports to apparent U.S. consumption of finished hand trucks in
          2003: China, 46.8 percent.

U.S. Imports:(1)
1. Quantity of subject imports of finished hand trucks in 2003:  1,346,305 units.
2. Value of subject imports of finished hand trucks in 2003:  $21.4 million.

(1) Data are for finished hand trucks only. Data for hand truck parts withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.