9 Dec 2005
Washington DC -- Gates Corp. has asked the International Trade Commission to rescind the 55-percent antidumping duties charged on polychloroprene rubber imported from Japan.
The ITC´s latest review of the duties, last June, resulted in a 3-2 commission vote to keep the duties. But Gates argued that changed circumstances in the market--Polimeri Europa SpA´s closure of its sole polychloroprene rubber plant and DuPont Performance Elastomers LLC´s decision to close its Louisville, Kentucky facility--makes it vital to allow Japanese polychloroprene into the US without duties.
"Continuation of the antidumping order represents an urgent and serious threat to the long-term viability of a number of significant US 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 Neoprene. Gates, however, claimed DuPont is misinterpreting the relevant trade law.
From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)
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