For Immediate Release: March 19, 2008
Contact: Brittany Eck  (202) 482-3809

COMMERCE FINDS UNFAIR DUMPING OF STEEL WIRE GARMENT HANGERS FROM CHINA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation on imports of steel wire garment hangers from the People’s Republic of China (China). Commerce preliminarily determined that Chinese exporters sold steel wire garment hangers in the United States at less than fair value. Two mandatory respondents received preliminary dumping rates of 33.85 percent and 164.54 percent. There are 13 participants who qualified for a separate rate of 83.98 percent, while all other exporters in the investigation will receive the China-wide rate of 221.05 percent.

“Price discrimination hurts American manufacturers by undermining their competitiveness in the global marketplace,” 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.”

Steel wire garment hangers are produced primarily for use by the dry cleaning, industrial laundry, textile and uniform rental industries. The petitioner for this investigation is M&B Metal Products Company, Inc. (Leeds, Ala.).

Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair value. As a result of this preliminary determination, 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 preliminary rates.

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

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