July 20, 2009
News Release 09-054
Inv. Nos. 701-TA-466 and 731-TA-1162 (P)
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819

The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of wire decking 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 August 31, 2009, and its preliminary antidumping duty determination due on or about November 12, 2009.

The Commission's public report Wire Decking from China (Investigation Nos. 701-TA-466 and 731-TA-1162 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 4092, July 2009) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

Copies of the report are expected to be available after August 10, 2009, 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: The imported product subject to this investigation is welded-wire rack decking for industrial or commercial storage racks or pallet rack systems. It is produced from carbon- or alloy-steel wire that has been welded into a square or rectangular mesh pattern and reinforced with structural support channels produced from steel sheet. Wire decking is classifiable under subheading 9403.90.8040 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). However, it may also be entered under several other HTS subheadings.

Status of Proceedings:

     1.   Type of investigations: Preliminary countervailing duty and preliminary antidumping.
     2.   Petitioners: AWP Industries, Inc., Frankfort, KY; ITC Manufacturing, Inc., Phoenix,
          AZ; J&L Wire Cloth, Inc., St. Paul, MN; Nashville Wire Products Mfg. Co., Inc.,
          Nashville, TN; and Wireway Husky Corp., Denver, NC.
     3.   Investigations instituted by USITC: June 5, 2009.
     4.   USITC staff conference: June 26, 2009. 
     5.   USITC vote: July 20, 2009.
     6.   USITC determination to the U.S. Department of Commerce: July 20, 2009.

U.S. Industry:

     1.   Number of producers in 2008:  Seven.
     2.   Location of producers' plants: Arizona, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North
          Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
     3.   Employment of production and related workers in 2008: 550. 
     4.   Apparent U.S. consumption in 2008: (1)
     5.   Ratio of the value of total U.S. shipments of imports to total U.S. consumption 
          in 2008: (1)

U.S. Imports:

     1.   From the subject country during 2008: (1)
     2.   From other countries during 2008: (1)
     3.   Leading source during 2008:  China.

(1) Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.