October, 1999
U.S. Senate wants ruling on apple juice dumping complaint
A group of U.S. senators called on the U.S. Department of Commerce
Secretary William Daley to reach a decision on the apple industry’s
dumping complaint against unfair prices of Chinese apple-juice concentrate
imports at the earliest possible date, not later than Oct. 5.
“Our nation’s apple growers and processors cannot afford to embark
on another crop year without relief from the devastating economic effect
of below-cost, apple-juice concentrate imports from China,” states
the letter co-authored by Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash).
The letter also calls upon the Department of Commerce to impose stiff antidumping
duties retroactively, to offset a recent surge in cheap Chinese concentrate
imports.
“We believe sufficient evidence exists to warrant the retroactive imposition
of additional duties on Chinese concentrate imports given the recent 111%
surge of imports since this case was initiated,” the letter states.
The department recently granted similar requests and made antidumping duties
retroactive by 90 days, in cases involving processed mushrooms from China
and some steel products from Japan, according to U.S. Apple Association
(USApple).
Should the Department o Commerce rule that Chinese concentrate is being
dumped on the U.S. market, and by Oct. 5 as requested, importers would be
required to pay antidumping duties on Chinese concentrate entered the U.S.
from July 7 onward. The apple industry is seeking a 91% antidumping duty
on Chinese concentrate imports.
On July 22 the U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously agreed with
the U.S. apple industry’s complaint that unfairly priced Chinese concentrate
imports are causing economic injury to domestic producers. The Department
of Commerce formally initiated its investigation on June 28 to determine
whether Chinese concentrate imports are being sold in the United States
at less than fair value. The department announced it would rule on the matter
by Nov. 15.
“Every barrel of cheap Chinese concentrate that arrives in the United
States brings another U.S. apple grower to his knees and threatens to drive
domestic concentrate producers deeper in the red,” said Kraig Naasz,
president of USApple. “The Department of Commerce must act soon to
stem the economic devastation these imports are causing apple growers and
processors.”
Other senators who signed the letter include: Spencer Abraham (R-Mich.),
Robert Bennett (R-Utah), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.)
Va.), Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah),
Jesse Helms (R – N.C.), James Jeffords (D-Vt.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.),
John Kerry (D-Mass.) Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Charles
Robb (D-Va.), Rick Santorium (R-Pa.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Gordon Smith
(R-Ore.) and Arlen Specter (R. Pa.).
A similar letter to Commerce Secretary Daley was being circulated (as of
Sept. 13) in the House of Representatives by U.S. representatives Richard
“Doc” Hastings (R-Wash.) and Ron Klink (D-Pa.). Washington state
Governor Gary Locke also called upon the Department of Commerce to rule
on the apple-juice concentrate case by early October, and on his counterparts
in California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia to send similar
letters to the Clinton administration supporting the apple industry’s
case against Chinese imports.
The antidumping initiative is being overseen by the Coalition for Fair Apple
Juice Concentrate Trade (FACT), an industry-wide coalition of apple associations,
processors and concentrators administered by USApple. FACT also received
financial support from the Departments of Agriculture in Washington, Virginia,
Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The Fruit Growers News