U.S. not to impose punitive duties on iron mechanical components from China, Canada

The United States will not impose punitive duties on iron mechanical transfer drive components from China and Canada, the U.S. trade authority said on Friday.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) said in a statement that the U.S. industry is "neither materially injured nor threatened with material injury by reason of imports of iron mechanical transfer drive components from Canada and China."

"All six Commissioners voted in the negative," said the bipartisan trade panel in a final ruling. "As a result of the USITC's negative determinations, no antidumping or countervailing duty orders will be issued."

The U.S. Commerce Department launched the anti-dumping and countervailing duties probes over Chinese and Canadian iron mechanical components in November 2015, requested by TB Wood's Incorporated based in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

The Commerce made its final affirmative determination at the end of October, saying those products imported from China and Canada had been sold in the United States at dumping margins of 13.64 percent to 401.68 percent and 100.47 percent to 191.67 percent, respectively.

Such products from China have received countervailable subsidies of 33.26 percent to 163.46 percent, the U.S. Department of Commerce claimed.

However, according to the procedure of the U.S. trade protection, the U.S. Commerce Department's final decision comes into effect only if the USITC also makes affirmative final rulings.

In 2014, imports of these products from China and Canada were estimated at 274.3 million U.S. dollars and 222.3 million dollars, respectively, according to U.S. official data.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly urged the United States to abide by its commitment against protectionism and work with China and other countries to maintain a free, open and just international trade environment. Endit