RI resin injures US firms

RI resin injures US firms

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones): The International Trade Commission Thursday issued a preliminary ruling that U.S. manufacturers are being injured by expandable polystyrene resins imported from Indonesia and South Korea at less than fair value.

Expandable polystyrene resin imports from the two countries totaled $17.8 million in 1998, nearly half of the total U.S. imports of $38.5 million. U.S. consumption of the material in 1998 totaled $333.2 million.

The ITC's affirmative ruling sends the case to the Commerce Department, which will issue a preliminary determination on antidumping duties May 1.

In other action Thursday, the ITC voted to continue antidumping and countervailing duties on cotton shop towels from Bangladesh, China and Pakistan.