U.S. wields tariffs at Indian, RI mushrooms<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AFP): The U.S. government is about to impose
\npunitive duties on imports of preserved mushrooms from India,
\nIndonesia and China, according to Commerce Department documents
\nreleased here.<\/p>\n
The department says mushrooms from those countries are being
\nsold in the United States at unfairly low prices.<\/p>\n
The duties will range from six percent to 244 percent and are
\ndesigned to offset the advantage allegedly gained by the Asian
\nexporters from having \"dumped\" their mushrooms on the market at
\nprices below what the department considers fair.<\/p>\n
Action by the department could come later this week.<\/p>\n
The decision comes after a key finding announced on Wednesday
\nof last week by another US trade body, the International Trade
\nCommission (ITC), that the US preserved mushroom industry had
\nindeed been harmed or threatened by the dumping practices.<\/p>\n
The Commerce Department said it would order the punitive
\ntariffs to take effect seven days after the ITC finding, which
\nwould be Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The planned imposition of duties caps a campaign launched in
\nJanuary 1998 by an alliance of seven US preserved mushroom
\nproducers known as the Coalition for Fair Preserved Mushroom
\nTrade.<\/p>\n
They had charged that their businesses had been jeopardized by
\ncheap imports from India, Indonesia, China and Chile.<\/p>\n
Final anti-dumping duties of more than 140 percent were
\nordered against Chilean imports last November.<\/p>\n
Lawyers representing all four countries had argued that if the
\nUS preserved mushroom industry is suffering it is because of
\ncompetition from the fresh product, now increasingly preferred by
\nconsumers.<\/p>\n
Preserved mushroom imports from India, Indonesia and China
\nwere valued at US$82 million in 1997, according to the Commerce
\nDepartment, with China accounting for $43.8 million.<\/p>\n
The ITC said imports from the three countries in 1997 amounted
\nto 55.2 percent of US consumption.<\/p>\n
Hardest hit by the anti-dumping orders are two Indian
\ncompanies, Alpine Biotech and Mandeep Mushrooms, each of which
\nhas been assigned punitive tariffs of 243.87 percent.<\/p>\n
The orders cover preserved mushrooms packed in cans or glass
\njars in water, brine or butter. They may be imported whole,
\nsliced, diced or as stems and pieces.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-wields-tariffs-at-indian-ri-mushrooms-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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