The United States has accused several Indian companies, including industrial giant Reliance Industries, of "dumping" bottle-grade polyethylene terephthalate resin, used to manufacture bottles, sheet and strapping for the packaging industry, in America.
The US Commerce Department has also accused Indonesian, Taiwanese and Thai companies of selling BG PET resin imports at less than fair value in an October 21 preliminary affirmative ruling published on October 25.
It calculated the dumping margin of Reliance at 52.24 per cent and those of all other Indian companies at 21.23 per cent.
The department is expected to make a final determination of imports concerning the Indian market by March 11, 2005. The USITC is scheduled to its final ruling on the Indian case by April 25, 2005.
Imposition of anti-dumping duties requires final affirmation from the Commerce Department that dumping occurred and from the US International Trade Commission that imports threatened US industry.
In the meantime, the US Customs service will be collecting duties or bonds on any subject imports. The money will be returned in case of a negative determination.
Indonesian companies P.T. Polypet Karyapersada, P.T. SK Keris and P.T.Indorama Synthetics Tbk have also dumped resin at 27.61 per cent, 27.61 per cent and at 0.74 per cent (below threshold for imposing duties). For all others the margin was at 18.65 per cent, the Commerce department said.
Taiwanese companies have dumped resin at 0.09 per cent (below threshold for imposing duties), the department said.
The margin for Thai Shinkong Industry Corporation Ltd. was at 41.28 per cent while for all other Thai companies it stood at 26.03 per cent.
