Chinanews.com, August 14 According to the website of the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Commerce issued the "Announcement on the Countervailing Investigation of Imported Polyphenylene Ether Originating in the United States" on the 14th, stating that from the date of this announcement, Commerce The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted an anti-subsidy investigation on imported polyphenylene ethers originating in the United States. The investigation period for subsidies determined in this investigation is from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, and the investigation period for industrial damage is January 1, 2017 From December 31 to December 31, 2019.
Data map: Ministry of Commerce. Photo by Jin Shuo from China News Service
According to reports, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of Commerce) received the countervailing investigation application formally submitted by Nantong Xingchen Synthetic Materials Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the applicant) on behalf of the domestic polyphenylene ether industry on June 23, 2020. People request an anti-subsidy investigation on imported polyphenylene ethers originating in the United States. According to Article 16 of the "Countervailing Regulations of the People's Republic of China", on July 29, 2020, the Ministry of Commerce issued an invitation to the US government for consultations on countervailing investigations, and held consultations with the US government on August 11.
The Ministry of Commerce, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "County Subsidy Regulations of the People's Republic of China", has regard to the qualifications of applicants, the relevant information of the products applied for investigation, the relevant information of similar products in China, the impact of the products applying for investigation on domestic industries, and the relevant information of the country applying for investigation, etc. A review was conducted.
According to the evidence provided by the applicant and the preliminary review by the Ministry of Commerce, the total output of polyphenylene ether from the applicant and supporting companies accounted for the major part of the total output of similar products in China in 2017, 2018 and 2019, which is in line with the Articles 11 and 13 of the Republic’s Countervailing Regulations stipulate that domestic industries submit applications for countervailing investigations.
The application stated that the products applied for investigation have received subsidies from the US government, and the US polyphenylene ether industry (enterprises) may benefit from a total of 145 subsidy projects. After preliminary review, the Ministry of Commerce believes that the application contains the content and relevant evidence required for the filing of an anti-subsidy investigation under Articles 14 and 15 of the Countervailing Regulations of the People’s Republic of China.
Based on the results of the above review and in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 of the "Countervailing Regulations of the People's Republic of China", the Ministry of Commerce has decided to start a countervailing investigation on imported polyphenylene ethers originating in the United States from August 14, 2020.
The investigation will begin on August 14, 2020, and the investigation should normally be terminated before August 14, 2021, and can be extended to February 14, 2022 under special circumstances.