December 3, 2010
News Release 10-134
Inv. Nos. 701-TA-476 and 731-TA-1179 (P)
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of multilayered wood flooring from China that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.

All six Commissioners voted in the affirmative.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its countervailing and antidumping duty investigations on imports of this product from China, with its preliminary countervailing duty determination due on or about January 14, 2011, and its preliminary antidumping duty determination due on or about March 30, 2011.

The Commission's public report Multilayered Wood Flooring from China (Investigation Nos. 701-TA-476 and 731-TA-1179 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 4206, December 2010) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

Copies of the report are expected to be available after January 3, 2011, by emailing pubrequest@usitc.gov, calling 202-205-2000, or writing to the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104.

Product Description: Multilayered Wood Flooring (MLWF) is a type of wood flooring product fabricated from layers or plies of wood veneers sometimes in combination with other kinds of wood materials such as medium or high density fiberboard (MDF or HDF). The wood layers are bonded horizontally with a face veneer of a desired wood species. The product is also referred to as "engineered wood flooring" or "plywood flooring" and is used in new residential and commercial construction as well as in remodeling. It is generally produced and sold in strips or planks, but is also available in geometric patterns. The most common thicknesses of MLWF produced and sold are inch and « inch. All species of multilayered wood flooring are included except for cork and bamboo which are specifically excluded from the scope of these investigations.

Status of Proceedings:

1.   Type of investigations:  Preliminary antidumping and countervailing duty.
2.   Petitioners: Coalition for American Hardwood Parity on behalf of its individual members:
               Anderson Hardwood Floors, LLC, Fountain Inn, SC; Award Hardwood Floors, Wausau,
               WI; Baker's Creek Wood Floors, Inc., Edwards, MS; From the Forest, Weston, WI;
               Howell Hardwood Flooring, Dothan, AL; Mannington Mills, Inc., Salem, NJ; Nydree
               Flooring, Forest, VA; and Shaw Industries Group, Inc., Dalton, GA. 
3.   Preliminary investigations instituted by the USITC:  October 21, 2010.
4.   Commission's conference:  November 12, 2010.
5.   USITC vote:  December 3, 2010.
6.   USITC determinations to the U.S. Department of Commerce:  December 6, 2010.
7.   USITC views to the U.S. Department of Commerce:  December 13, 2010.

U.S. Industry:

1.   Number of known producers in 2009:  Thirteen.
2.   Location of producers' plants:  Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
               Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
3.   Employment of production and related workers in 2009:  2,077 (reported).
4.   Apparent reported U.S. consumption in 2009:  $736.2 million.
5.   Ratio of the reported value of total U.S. imports to total reported U.S. consumption in 2009: 53%.

U.S. Imports:

1.   From the subject country during 2009:  $255.5 million (reported).
2.   From other countries during 2009:  $48.1 million (reported).
3.   Leading sources during 2009:  China, Canada and Brazil.