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News Release 10-036
Inv. No(s). 701-TA-462, 731-TA-1156-1158 (Final)
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is threatened with material injury by reason of imports of polyethylene retail carrier bags from Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are subsidized and from Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam that Commerce has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.
Chairman Shara L. Aranoff and Commissioners Deanna Tanner Okun, Charlotte R. Lane, Irving A. Williamson, and Dean A. Pinkert voted in the affirmative. Vice Chairman Daniel R. Pearson voted in the negative.
As a result of the USITC's affirmative determinations, Commerce will issue a countervailing duty order on imports of these products from Vietnam and antidumping duty orders on imports of these products from Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The Commission's public report Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam (Investigation Nos. 701-TA-462 and 731-TA-1156-1158 (Final), USITC Publication 4144, April 2010) will contain the views of the Commissioners and information developed during the investigations.
Copies may be obtained after May 17, 2010, by emailing pubrequest@usitc.gov, calling 202-205-2000, or by writing the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be made by fax to 202-205-2104.
FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Investigation Nos. 701-TA-462 and 731-TA-1156-1158 (Final)
Product Description: The merchandise subject to these investigations is polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs), commonly referred to as t-shirt sacks, merchandise bags, grocery bags, or checkout bags. PRCBs are non-sealable sacks and bags with handles (including drawstrings), without zippers or integral extruded closures, with or without gussets and printing, of polyethylene (PE) film of thickness no greater than 0.035 inch and no less than 0.00035 inch, and with no length or width shorter than 6 inches or longer than 40 inches. The bag depth may be shorter than 6 inches but not longer than 40 inches. PRCBs are typically provided without consumer packaging and free of charge by retail establishments, e.g., grocery, drug, convenience, department, specialty retail, discount stores, and restaurants to their customers to package and carry out purchased products. Excluded from the scope are (1) PE bags without identification, closeable with drawstrings of PE film and (2) PE bags packed in consumer packaging with printing referring to end uses other than PRCBs, e.g., garbage and lawn bags; trash-can liners.
Status of Proceedings:
1. Types of investigations: Final antidumping and countervailing duty. 2. Petitioners: Hilex Poly Co., LLC, Hartsville, SC, and Superbag Corp., Houston, TX. 3. Investigations instituted by USITC: March 31, 2009. 4. Hearing: March 16, 2010. 5. USITC vote: April 15, 2010. 6. USITC notification of Department of Commerce: April 26, 2010.
U.S. Industry:
1. Number of U.S. firms involved in production of PRCBs in 2008: 17.
2. Production volume is concentrated in California, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
3. Employment of production and related workers in 2008: 2,971.
4. U.S. producers' U.S. shipments in 2008: $983 million.
5. U.S. apparent consumption in 2008: $1.5 billion.
6. Ratio of value of total imports to U.S. apparent consumption in 2008: 33.9 percent
U.S. Imports:
1. Quantity of subject imports in 2008: 14.6 billion PRCBs. 2. Value of subject imports in 2008: $186 million.-- 30 --