WASHINGTON—At the request of Alliance Rubber Co., the U.S. Department of Commerce is postponing its countervailing duty determinations on rubber bands imported from China and Thailand until July 2.
Hot Springs, Ark.-based Alliance filed petitions with the U.S. International Trade Commission in January, asking for antidumping and countervailing duties against rubber band imports from China, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
On March 15, the ITC voted to continue the antidumping and countervailing investigations against China and Thailand, but discontinued the investigations against Sri Lanka because the commissioners found the effect of Sri Lankan imports was negligible on the domestic rubber band industry.
Commerce's decision on countervailing duty margins was originally scheduled for April 26. However, Alliance wrote the agency March 27, requesting that the determination be postponed.
"The petitioner stated that the purpose of its request is to provide Commerce with adequate time to analyze fully questionnaire responses to determine the extent by which countervailable subsidies are used by the respondents," according to an April 12 Federal Register notice.
The postponement of the countervailing duty determinations brings that action closer to the time of Commerce's antidumping duty determinations, which are due July 10.