Governments step up SR anti-dumping measures

London – Measures against dumping of synthetic rubber gained momentum last month as a number of governments announced plans to levy duties on importers in a bid to protect local industry.

The US International Trade Commission determined 3 Aug that the domestic industry was materially injured by imports of emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber (ESBR) from Brazil, South Korea, Mexico and Poland.

The decision followed a ruling by the US Department of Commerce that these imported materials were being sold in the US at less than fair value, with damage margins ranging between 9.7% and 44.3%.

In its determination, Commerce found that Arlanxeo Brasil SA, the sole mandatory respondent from Brazil, dumped its ESBR in the US at a margin of 19.61%, while South Korean ESBR producers were given an anti-dumping range of 9.66%.

In the Polish investigation, the sole mandatory respondent, Synthos Dwory, received a dumping margin of 25.43%, the same rate found for all Polish ESBR producers.

Mexico’s Industrias Negromex SA de CV – Planta Altamira, received a dumping margin of 25.43%.

The dispute seems to widen as the Mexican government announced 10 Aug that it had initiated an investigation into ESBR dumping from Poland, Korea, Japan and the US, upon a request by local producer Industrias Negromex.

Mexico’s ‘ministry of economy’ has set an investigation period from 1 Nov, 2015 to 31 Oct, 2016, and the period of damage analysis from 1 Nov, 2013 to 31 Oct, 2016.

The ESBR market investigation could be widened to include European, South American and Asian producers, said the Mexico authorities – a move that add to a series of similar actions in the by authorities around the world.

The Indian government has already imposed anti-dumping duties against SBR 1500 and SBR 1700  imported from Europe, South Korea and Thailand.

In a 12 July report, Indian ministry of commerce & industry department of commerce said it had established that there was dumping of product from the subject countries and that the dumped imports were suppressing domestic prices.

Highest duties were imposed on European imports, including ESBR supplied by Synthos Kralupy AS, Czech Republic and Synthos Dwory 7 Sp Z Oo, Poland, which would face a tariff of $207.49 per tonne.

South Korean companies, for which India is the second largest SBR export market, will also face anti-dumping duties, albeit at lower rates. Thai SBR suppliers will face tariffs of $243.6 per tonne.