US Commerce Dept. Anti-Dumping Team Investigating
Chinese TV Makers
A team of US Commerce Department officials are now investigating
Chinese television makers to find out if they are making
televisions at below cost and then selling them at artificially
low prices in the US market.
The investigators have already visited Sichuan Changhong
Electric Co and the Xiamen Overseas Chinese Electronic
Co, two of China's biggest television manufacturers, according
to China's leading English language newspaper, the China
Daily. The anti-dumping charges, the latest in a series
of trade skirmishes between the US and China, stemmed
from a complaint by a Tennessee manufacturer of color
televisions and two labor unions.
The preliminary ruling by the Commerce Department imposes
duties of 27.9 to 45.9 percent on Chinese-made televisions
to offset the effects of "dumping" or selling
at below cost or below market value.
The Commerce Department team will also visit other major
Chinese television manufacturers including the Konka Group
Co and the TCL Holding Co. TCL is now the largest makers
of television sets in the world, and is set to become
even larger after merging
with Thomson and becoming the owner of the RCA brand.
After the companies are assessed the firms will be given
"dumping margin prices" based on the cost situation
at each company, it said.
The US agency is scheduled to make its final determinations
in April 2004, which will be reviewed by the quasi-judicial
International Trade Commission by May.
Before you go, did you like this article?
If so, you can receive a free email newsletter version
each weekday. Sign up using the China Business Express
form on this page.
