Gates Corp. has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to rescind the 55-percent antidumping duties charged on polychloroprene rubber imported from Japan.
The federal agency's latest review of the duties, just last June, resulted in a 3-2 commission vote to keep them.
Gates argued that changed circumstances in the market-Polimeri Europa S.p.A.'s closure of its sole polychloroprene rubber plant and DuPont Performance Elastomers L.L.C.'s decision to close its Louisville, Ky. facility-make it vital to allow Japanese polychloroprene into the U.S. without duties.
``Continuation of the antidumping order represents an urgent and serious threat to the long-term viability of a number of significant U.S. manufacturing operations,'' Gates said in its petition.
Responding to Gates, DuPont Performance Elastomers said Gates has no standing to file a changed circumstances petition, because it is a purchaser and not a manufacturer of polychloroprene.
Gates, however, claimed DuPont is misinterpreting the relevant trade law.