Global Fastener News

July 21, 1993 FIN – The U.S. International Trade Commission announced its final determination that the U.S. helical spring lock washer industry has been injured by unfairly priced, or dumped, imports from Taiwan.

This is the final step in the establishment of the dumping duty of 31.39% as determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce for U.S. imports of carbon and stainless steel lock washers from Taiwan.

The Commission reached its decision based on the information received primarily from Importers’ Questionnaire responses and the petition and was announced June 10, 1993.

The anti-dumping petition was filed by the Shakeproof Industrial Products division of Illinois Tool Works Inc. on September 8, 1992, under the Bush Administration with

The DoC had previously announced its preliminary determination of dumping against China and has set the dumping margin at 128.63%.

The final dumping duty and the ITC’s final decision regarding injury for Chinese lock washers is scheduled for September or October.

Given the final determination against Taiwan and the similarity in the two cases, it appears likely that the ITC’s final determination against China will be affirmative as well.

Editor’s Note: The ITW antidumping petition was filed under the George H.W. Bush Administration with Robert Mosbacher as secretary of commerce.

The preliminary determination was announced with Rockwell Schnabel as acting secretary in just over a month into the Bill Clinton Administration. Two days after the announcement Barbara Franklin became secretary of commerce. ©1993/2010 Fastener Industry News.

1993 FIN � Commerce Department Issues Sets 31.93% Dumping Margin
February 25, 1993 FIN – The U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary determination on certain helical spring lock washers from Taiwan under the Antidumping Act.

The DoC determined the dumping margin is 31.93%.

As a result, the Customs Service will be directed to suspend liquidation of all future entries and to stop liquidating past entries since mid-November 1992.

The retroactive suspensions were ordered because the Commerce Department also determined that massive imports had occurred. The Customs Service will require a cash deposit or a bond equal to 31.93% of the value of imports of helical spring lock washers from Taiwan.

The DoC announcement was in response to the antidumping petition filed on September 8, 1992, by the Shakeproof Industrial Products Division of Illinois Tool Works.

The petition also covered helical spring lock washers from the People’s Republic of China.

Commerce postponed its preliminary determination for Chinese lock washers until no later than April 26, 1993, but a decision may occur sooner.

In the case of China, the petition alleged dumping margins of 92.3% to 128.63%.

As in the case of Taiwan, Shakeproof alleged that massive imports are occurring from China to beat the preliminary determination to avoid those assessments of dumping duties. For this reason, antidumping duties could be assessed retroactively lock washer imports from China beginning the end of January 1993.

While a majority of the lock washers from Taiwan are stainless steel, the majority of helical spring lock washers from China are made from carbon steel.

Robert Hume, the attorney representing Shakeproof, stated that the Commerce Department’s aggressive enforcement of the Antidumping Act is attributed to an appreciation of the impact unfair trade practices are having on U.S. businesses. Hume told FIN he expects the new Clinton Administration to be even tougher. ©1993/2010 Fastener Industry News.