Global Geopolitical Series: U.S. imposes anti-dumping duties on polyester yarns from India and China

In a continuation of the toughened stance against trade practices, even as the Sino-American negotiations progress, the U.S.  Commerce Department announced duties on yarns from India and China.

The Commerce Department concluded its investigations on imports of polyester textured yarn from China &India, initiated on a petition was filed by a group of companies; Unifi Manufacturing, Inc. and Nan Ya Plastics Corp. America, and has found that exporters from China have dumped polyester textured yarn in the United States at margins of 76.07 percent and 77.15 percent, while exporters from India have dumped polyester textured yarn in the United States at margins of 17.88 percent and 35.92 percent.

In 2017, imports of polyester textured yarn from China and India were valued at an estimated $35 million and $19.6 million, respectively. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would be collecting charges from importers based on the above figures.  

The petition also alleges the existence of 20 subsidy programs in China and 43 subsidy programs in India such as tax incentives, the provision of low-priced inputs, grants, and loan subsidies benefiting the exporters. These would be looked into as part of the countervailing duty investigations.

Under President Trump, the U.S. Commerce Department has significantly stepped up its investigations into foreign malpractices in trade and the number of investigations initiated is 211 percent more than the previous administration.