WASHINGTON—Lion Elastomers L.L.C. and East-West Copolymers have filed a petition with the International Trade Commission, requesting antidumping relief from emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber imports from Poland, Mexico and South Korea.
Lion and East-West sent a letter to ITC Secretary Lisa R. Barton July 21, stating that emulsion SBR is being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value, causing material injury to U.S. emulsion SBR manufacturers.
The companies requested an investigation, seeking antidumping duties against Mexican, Korean and Polish emulsion SBR imports as a result, according to the fact sheet on the ITC website.
News articles from South Korea quoted the Korea International Trade Association as saying that Lion and East-West requested antidumping duties ranging from 22.4 to 44.2 percent, and that South Korea exported $137.9 million worth of emulsion SBR to the U.S. in 2015.
Officials of the KITA could not immediately be reached for comment. Neither could Matthew T. McGrath, partner in the Washington trade law firm Barnes, Richardson & Colburn L.L.C. and the attorney representing Lion and East-West.
Notice of Lion and East-West's petition appeared in the Federal Register July 27. The investigation has been assigned the number 731-TA-1334-1337. The ITC must make a preliminary determination on whether to continue the investigation by Sept. 6, and must transmit its decision to the U.S. Department of Commerce by Sept. 13.
The ITC fact sheet on the petition can be found here.
The Federal Register notice is available here.