New China antidumping duties range from 0.53% to 216.01%
DOC review establishes 35.38% average rate for 41 Chinese bedroom exporters
Thomas Russell -- Furniture Today, August 10, 2007
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Commerce has released the results of its first administrative review of antidumping duties on wood bedroom furniture from China, with duties ranging from 0.53% for Shanghai Aosen Furniture to 216.01% for Starcorp Furniture Co.
The review established an average 35.38% rate for 41 companies that sought a separate rate status.
The review covered wood bedroom furniture shipments from China between June 24, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2005.
The review, which began in early 2006, ends months of uncertainty for the companies and their importers of record, which pay the duties on finished goods they import from these manufacturers. These new rates represent the remaining duties owed beyond initial cash deposits paid on goods shipped to this country during the review period.
The DOC processed requests to review more than 100 Chinese producers of wood bedroom furniture. A total of 57 companies were covered in this review. The rest either had their names taken off the review list or did not ship goods during the review period. Those that had their names taken off the review list were able to lock into a Section A duty rate. For much of the time period, this rate was 6.65%.
The DOC released preliminary review results earlier this year. News of the final results was better for some than others.
For instance, most mandatory respondents had their duties lowered from the preliminary rates. These companies sought to be reviewed because they believe they are not dumping furniture in the U.S. market below cost, a contention of the U.S. producers who petitioned for duties on the imports.
The mandatory respondents and their rates are:
+ Fine Furniture Shanghai Ltd.: 1.97%, down from 2.13%.
+ Foshan Guanqiu: 11.72%, down from 13.26%.
+ Shanghai Aosen: 0.53%, down from 1.24%.
+ Dare Group: 48.97%, down from 58.84%.
Starcorp Furniture Co., one of the five mandatory respondents, saw its duty raised from 74.69% to 216.01%. The International Trade Administration said that was because Starcorp “did not cooperate to the best of its ability in this administrative review.”
The 41 companies that applied for separate rate status had a preliminary duty of 62.94%, now lowered to 35.38%. An additional 11 companies that applied for separate status were denied, according to the DOC. Those companies and others are now subject to an all-China rate of 216.01%.
For a full list of the separate rate respondents, go online to:
http://ia.ita.doc.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-prc-wbf-080807.pdf
