PET resin dumped in U.S., government finds

The Commerce Department has concluded that imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from Canada, China, India, and Oman have been sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The department began the investigation last year after DAK Americas, M&G Chemicals, and Nan Ya Plastics Corp. America filed complaints. The U.S. manufacturers claimed that imports of the resin from the four countries have been unfairly priced to undercut domestic producers and, except for those in Canada, foreign companies benefited from improper government subsidies. Although Commerce agreed that PET resin from China and India has been unfairly subsidized, it found no evidence that producers in Oman had received subsidies. Commerce says it will impose punitive duties if the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) finds that low-priced imports of PET resin from any of the four countries have damaged the U.S. industry. ITA is scheduled to make its final injury determinations on April 18. PET resin is a basic building block for plastic packaging materials, beverage containers, and other consumer products.