USITC Votes to Continue Investigations Concerning Vertical Shaft Engines from China

February 28, 2020
News Release 20-016
Inv. No(s). 701-TA-637 and 731-TA-1471 (Preliminary)
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 vertical shaft engines from China that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value. 

Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, Randolph J. Stayin, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative.

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue with its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations concerning imports of these products from China, with its preliminary countervailing duty determination due on or about April 9, 2020, and its preliminary antidumping duty determination due on or about June 23, 2020.

The Commission’s public report Vertical Shaft Engines from China (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-637 and 731-TA-1471 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 5034, March 2020) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

The report will be available after March 30, 2020; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at:  https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

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UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436

FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS

Vertical Shaft Engines from China
Investigation Nos. 701-TA-637 and 731-TA-1471 (Preliminary)

Product Description:  Vertical Shaft Engines are engines that are spark ignition, single or multiple cylinder, air cooled, internal combustion engines with vertical power take off shafts, whether finished or unfinished, whether assembled or unassembled, with a minimum displacement of 225 cubic centimeters (cc) and a maximum displacement of 999cc. Such engines are primarily used for riding lawn mowers and zero-turn radius lawn mowers.

Status of Proceedings:

1.   Type of investigation:  Preliminary phase antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations.
2.   Petitioners:  Kohler Company, Kohler, WI; Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Wauwatosa, WI.
3.   USITC Institution Date:  Wednesday, January 15, 2020.
4.   USITC Conference Date:  Wednesday, February 5, 2020.
5.   USITC Vote Date:  Friday, February 28, 2020.
6.   USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Monday, March 2, 2020.

U.S. Industry in 2018:

1.   Number of U.S. producers:  3.
2.   Location of producers’ plants:  Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
3.   Production and related workers:  ^[1]
4.   U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments:  ¹
5.   Apparent U.S. consumption:  ¹
6.   Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption:  ¹

U.S. Imports in 2018:

1.   Subject imports:  ¹
2.   Nonsubject imports:  ¹
3.   Leading import sources:  China, Japan, Thailand.