WASHINGTON — The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has determined that the domestic synthetic rubber industry was materially injured by imports of emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR) from Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Poland, which the U.S. Department of Commerce determined are sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
Chairman Rhonda K. Schmidtlein and Commissioner Irving A. Williamson voted in the affirmative. Vice Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioner Meredith M. Broadbent voted in the negative.
The predominant use of ESBR is in making pneumatic tires, according to ITC documents.
Commerce on July 11 issued antidumping duty orders on ESBR products imported from Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Poland. It ruled that producers from those nations were dumping their products in the U.S. at margins ranging from 9.66 to 44.3 percent.
Lion Elastomers L.L.C. and East West Copolymer L.L.C. were the petitioners in the case. East West has since filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, closed its factory in Baton Rouge, La., and sold the facility to Lion Elastomers. The site is not expected to reopen.
The ITC also made a negative finding concerning critical circumstances regarding products imported from South Korea. Goods sold at less than fair value that entered the U.S. from South Korea prior to Feb. 24 (the date of the Commerce's affirmative preliminary determination), will not be subject to retroactive antidumping duties.
The ITC's public report, "Emulsion Styrene-Butadiene Rubber from Brazil, Korea, Mexico and Poland (Investigation Nos. 731-TA-1334-1337 (Final), USITC Publication 4717, August 2017) will contain the views of the ITC and information developed during the investigations, and will be available by Sept. 13. It may be accessed on the ITC website.