U.S. imposes duties on some PET resin imports

The U.S. Department of Commerce has made preliminary determinations that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) exporters in Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan have been selling the resin in the U.S. at less than fair value. The department levied estimated antidumping duties at rates ranging from 7.75% to 226.91% on PET resin imports originating from the five countries after concluding the early phase of its investigation. The inquiry began last October after four major U.S. plastics producers—DAK Americas, Indorama Ventures USA, M&G Polymers USA, and Nan Ya Plastics Corp., America—filed complaints with the government. They alleged that imports of low-priced PET resin from the five targeted nations increased by over 305% between 2014 and 2016, causing U.S. producers to lose sales, profits, and market share. “The imposition of provisional relief will go a long way toward helping the domestic industry begin to recover from the injury caused by unfairly traded PET resin imports,” says Paul Rosenthal of Kelley Drye & Warren, counsel to the U.S. producers. Commerce is expected to make final determinations by mid-September.