US extends antidumping duties on Chinese laminated woven sacks

A U.S. trade panel voted Friday to extend antidumping and countervailing duties on laminated woven sacks from China after the first five-year review of the measures imposed initially in 2008. The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) voted against revoking the existing duty orders on laminated woven sacks from China, saying it "would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time. " The US Commerce Department is required to remove an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the department and the USITC vote against it, according to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. The United States initially issued antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of laminated woven sacks from China in 2008. The Commerce Department agreed to institute the first five-year review of the measures in July 2013 and later determined that revocation of the existing duty orders on laminated woven sacks from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and improper subsidies, with the dumping margin of 20. 19 percent to 47.64 percent and subsidy rates of 83.34 percent to 406.52 percent. The USITC voted to conduct expedited reviews of the existing duties on Chinese laminated woven sacks in October 2013. Beijing has repeatedly urged Washington to honor its commitment against protectionism and work with China to maintain a free, open and just trade environment.