U.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Antidumping Duty Investigations of Imports of Methionine from France, Japan, and Spain
For Immediate Release
August 19, 2020
Contact: ITA Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the initiation of new antidumping duty (AD) investigations to determine whether imports of methionine from France, Japan, and Spain are being dumped in the United States.
In the AD investigations, Commerce will determine whether imports of methionine from France, Japan, and Spain are being sold in the U.S. market at less-than-fair value. The alleged dumping margins are 16.17 percent, 104.23 percent, and 36.22 percent, respectively.
If Commerce makes affirmative findings in these investigations, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that dumped U.S. imports of methionine from France, Japan, and Spain materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the U.S. industry, Commerce will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping found to exist.
The 2019 imports of methionine from France, Japan, and Spain were valued at approximately $10.7 million, $31.9 million, and $56.9 million, respectively.
The petitions were filed by Novus International, Inc. (St. Charles, Mo.).
Read the fact sheet on today’s decision.
Next Steps:
During Commerce’s investigations into whether methionine from France, Japan, and/or Spain are being dumped, the ITC will conduct its own investigations into whether the U.S. industry and its workforce are being injured by such imports. The ITC will make its preliminary determinations by September 14. If the ITC preliminarily determines that there is a reasonable indication of material injury or threat of material injury, then Commerce’s investigations will continue, with the preliminary AD determinations scheduled for January 5, 2021, unless this deadline is extended.
If Commerce preliminarily determines that dumping is occurring, then it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to start collecting cash deposits from all U.S. companies importing methionine from France, Japan, and/or Spain, as appropriate.
Final determinations by Commerce in these cases are scheduled for March 22, 2021, but this date may be extended. If Commerce finds that products are not being dumped, or the ITC finds no injury to the U.S. industry, then the investigations will be terminated, and no duties will be applied.
The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump administration. Since the beginning of the current administration, Commerce has initiated 284 new AD and CVD investigations – a 264 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
The AD and countervailing duty (CVD) laws provide American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing and unfair subsidization of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 531 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to AD duties.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international rules and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.
