For Immediate Release: October 15, 2008
Contact: Brittany Eck  (202) 482-3809

COMMERCE FINDS UNFAIR DUMPING OF INNERSPRING UNITS FROM SOUTH AFRICA AND VIETNAM

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty investigations of imports of uncovered innerspring units (innersprings) from South Africa and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam). Innersprings are used in the manufacture of innerspring mattresses.

“The competitiveness of American manufacturers is compromised by the illegal dumping of imported innersprings in the U.S. market,” said Assistant Secretary for Import Administration David Spooner. “The Administration is committed to aggressively enforcing America's trade remedy laws in order to achieve strong and fair relationships with our trading partners.”

All exporters from South Africa, including mandatory respondent Bedding Component Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd., received a final dumping rate of 121.39 percent. All exporters from Vietnam received a final dumping rate of 116.31 percent. The final margins in the South Africa and Vietnam investigations are based on adverse facts available, because exporters from these countries failed to respond to Commerce’s requests for information.

As a result of these final dumping determinations, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise and to collect a cash deposit or bond based on the final rates. The final determination in the companion China antidumping investigation will be announced on Dec. 22, 2008.

The merchandise covered by these investigations includes uncovered innerspring units composed of a series of individual metal springs joined together in sizes corresponding to the sizes of adult mattresses and units used in smaller constructions, such as cribs and youth mattresses.

The petitioner for these investigations is Leggett & Platt, Inc., of Carthage, Mo. Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than normal value.

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

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