International Trade Law News

Published by Jacobson Burton Kelley PLLC

I find it very interesting that Calgon is willing to file this anti-dumping petition right as it is opening its own facility in China. The Chinese companies against which Calgon brought the anti-dumping petition presumably are either owned by the Chinese state or have close ties to it, hence the anti-dumping charge. It is always possible Calgon's Chinese facility will be working with very different governmental entities than those that work with the Chinese companies that allegedly engaged in dumping. However, if this is not the case, I cannot help but wonder whether Calgon might be creating some problems for itself in China with this filing.

From one who is in the thick of it.
This petition is not really against the Chinese, it is against the select American importers (most of whom are small businesses)of chinese coal carbon. These small businesses (importers) are the ones who will initially pay anti-dumping duties. But, make no mistake, you and I are the ones who will really be paying for this in the end. The one and only reason that this anti-dumping petition is being filed is because of reduced profit margins for the big boys (big companies playing with big profits). There is far more to this than meets the eye. If this gets by the first round of the ITC/DOC investigation, in essence, a monopoly will again be in place. Prices for all carbons, no matter what source, will increase dramitically by as much as 200%-700%(based on supply and demand). And, businesses who import this carbon from China will STOP, because the majority of these small businesses (who import onlyhalf of the total amount) do not have the physical "cash" to overcome the tremendous increase in the outlay of cash, which would be required, even if the dutiers are put into place only temporarily during a prolonged investigation.
People will go out of business, water bills will increase by at least the same amount because the municipalities will not be able to get the carbon at the original prices they were quoted and they will pass these costs on to you the consumer. Other municipalities will have to shut off their water supply, because they too can not get the enormous amount of immediatey required cash to pay for the immediate increase in carbon prices (even if only temporary). And, because there are strict requirements on effluent contaminant levels from these same municipalities, they may also have to shut down, because there is physically not be enough carbon available from Calgon and Norit (the domestic suppliers filing the petition) to meet the ever increasing filtration requirements throughout the entire USA.
The trickle down effect will increase prices across the board for almost every single industry and product in the USA.
And, in the end, the big boys, with their deep pockets, will be able to overcome the anti-dumping "cash requirement duties" (even temporarily), increase prices immediately for the shorter supply of material and increased duties and STICK IT TO ALL OF US (the public in general), like they did befoe there was a level playing field (real, honest competition).
Calgon is one of the largest exporters of carbon from China and the largest importer of carbon from China into the USA. They are playing economic gamnes with the anti-dumping laws to simply eliminate competition.

It would seem to me that all carbon prices would increase because of the decrease in supply of any carbon product. Who knows about this petition? I had not even known about this anti-dumping petition until I was looking for some technical information on the web. If this is so critical, why aren't the people who are defending this telling us (the customers) how to help?
Is this happening so fast that no one can react fast enough?
Do we call our representatives or congressmen to get support against the petition?

This is very interesting site...
» » »