ITC: Japanese imports still a danger to US polychloroprene industry

Washington DC - DuPont Performance Elastomers LLC wouldn't be threatened by Japanese imports of polychloroprene simply because Polimeri Europa SpA closed its French polychloroprene rubber facility, the International Trade Commission said in a "Federal Register" notice explaining why it declined to grant Gates Corp.'s request for a review of the anti-dumping duties levied against Japanese neoprene importers.

"Based on Polimeri´s past share of the US market-its withdrawal from that market is very unlikely to lead to the elimination of all (non-Japanese) imports," the ITC said. All other market factors, the agency added, are the same as they were when the ITC decided to reaffirm the Japanese duties in June 2005.

A spokeswoman for DuPont Performance Elastomers said her company´s stand was unchanged from previously, when it said the anti-dumping duties were still necessary.

Frank Schuchat, a Denver attorney representing Gates, said an appeal before the International Court of Trade was possible, but that possibility hasn't been fully evaluated yet.

From Rubber & Plastics News (A Crain publication)

ITC Statement in Federal register