U.S. To Impose Duties On Imports Of MSG

The U.S. International Trade Commission says that imports of the food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG) from China and Indonesia are harming the sole U.S. producer because the material is being sold in the domestic market at less than fair-value prices. The commission’s final determination comes in response to a request for an investigation by Fort Lee, N.J.-based Ajinomoto North America. The finding gives a green light to the Department of Commerce to levy antidumping duties on Chinese MSG imports of 8.3% and on Indonesian imports of 6.2%. Ajinomoto, a division of Japan’s Ajinomoto Co., makes MSG at its plant in Eddyville, Iowa. It’s been the only U.S. producer since the mid-1990s. MSG, derived from corn and other dextrose-producing crops, is primarily used as a flavor enhancer in foods. But it is also used in smaller volumes in the manufacture of detergents, cosmetics, and certain pharmaceutical products. Imports of MSG from China and Indonesia were valued at approximately $36.9 million and $5.7 million, respectively, in 2012, according to the Commerce Department.