Commerce Announces Final Results in Second Administrative Review of Antidumping Order on Steam Activated Carbon from China

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) today released the final antidumping margins calculated in connection with the second annual administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steam activated carbon from the People's Republic of China.  Activated carbon is used in drinking water, wastewater, odor control, and pollution abatement systems.  

The specific margins calculated by Commerce are as follows:

Jacobi Carbons AB:   4.15  percent ($0.11 per kg.)

(includes: Tianjin Jacobi International Trading Co., Ltd. and Jacobi Carbons, Inc.)

Ningxia Huahui Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.:   59.35  percent ($0.44 per kg.)

Separate Rate Respondents:   31.59 percent ($0.28 per kg.)

(includes: Datong Juqiang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.; Datong Municipal Yunguang Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.; Jilin Bright Future Chemicals Co., Ltd.; Ningxia Guanghua Cherishmet Activated Carbon Co., Ltd.; Ningxia Mineral & Chemical Ltd.; Shanxi DMD Corporation; Shanxi Industry Technology Trading Co., Ltd.; Shanxi Qixian Foreign Trade Corporation; Tangshan Solid Carbon Co., Ltd.)

PRC-wide Rate:   228.11 percent ($2.42 per kilogram)

These margins reflect the Commerce Department's calculations of the antidumping duty rates to be assessed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for shipments by the companies identified above that entered the United States between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009.  These margins will also serve as the rates at which U.S. importers of steam activated carbon from the companies identified above will be required to deposit estimated antidumping duties with CBP at the time of entry.  The results represent a slight increase from the preliminarily results issued on May 10, 2010.  The antidumping duty rate for Calgon Carbon (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. announced in November 2009 remains unchanged at 14.51 percent since the company was not involved in the second annual administration review.

One significant difference from the preliminary results of this review is that Commerce has announced that it will now be assessing duties and collecting the antidumping duty deposits as a specific duty in $/kg. rather than as a percentage of the entered value declared by importers of the activated carbon.  This was done to address undervaluation of activated carbon entries by importers that was leading to an under-collection of duties.

David A. Hartquist, lead counsel to the domestic industry said, "The final margins announced today by the Commerce Department demonstrate that the antidumping duty order on activated carbon from China is working."  Mr. Hartquist explained, "Since publication of the order in April 2007, prices have recovered to healthier levels and the volume of Chinese product entering the United States has declined significantly.  The final results announced by the Commerce Department today confirm the preliminary results and suggest that the Chinese companies that respond to the antidumping order and price their products responsibly in the United States can achieve reductions in their antidumping margin, while those companies that continue or increase their sales of unfairly priced activated carbon in the United States will see their antidumping margins increase.  We are particularly pleased that the Commerce Department has instituted a per kilogram duty deposit and assessment rate going forward, as this will prevent the undervaluation of entries and the under-collection of duties.  We will continue our focused efforts to ensure the effectiveness of the antidumping order and the domestic industry's continued ability to compete on a level playing field, including aggressive efforts to thwart various circumvention schemes and to assure that all antidumping duties are collected."

The petitioners in this case are Calgon Carbon Corporation and Norit Americas Inc.  They are represented in this investigation by David A. Hartquist, head of the International Trade and Customs Practice at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP.

SOURCE Kelley Drye & Warren LLP