A group of U.S. chemical manufacturers are petitioning the government to investigate claims that several oversees companies are selling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) below market value.
The U.S. companies — DAK Americas, Indorama Ventures USA, M&G Polymers USA and Nan Ye Plastics — all allege that companies in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Pakistan and Taiwan are hurting their domestic sales of PET by pricing their exports of the chemical too low.
Recently, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced that it would act on those claims and investigate the possibility that the companies are dumping PET in the U.S. market. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, PET exports from Korea in the first six months of this year were $60 million — a substantial jump from $24 million last year.
PET is used to make light, durable plastics found in a range of products, including bottles and polyester fibers.
If the ITC finds that the countries have in fact been dumping PET in the U.S., the group will then determine if it hurt domestic companies and if antidumping duties should be imposed.
According to Chemical and Engineering News, Chemours has also submitted a claim that Chinese and Indian producers are dumping polytetrafluoroethylene, a resin sold under the Teflon brand name, in the U.S. Chemours also believes that Indian companies are given an unfair advantage by subsidies from the Indian government.
A trade lawyer told Chemical and Engineering News that there’s been an uptick in trade filings since the Trump administration took office and Congress passed measures making it harder for companies to avoid antidumping tariffs.
