The US Department of Commerce on May 2 launched anti-dumping duty and countervail duty investigations against tool chests and cabinets imported from Vietnam and China.

According to the department’s fact sheet, the investigations are in response to a request from Waterloo Industries, a US manufacturer of tool boxes.

The company alleged that tool chests and cabinets from Vietnam and China were sold to the US market at prices below the fair value with dumping margins of 21.58 percent and 159.99 percent, respectively.

It also claimed that Chinese exporters and producers of such products received the government’s improper subsidies. 

The US International Trade Commission is scheduled to issue its decision on the preliminary investigations on May 26. The probe will continue if the commission determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports of such products materially injure or threaten the domestic industry.

Last year, the US’s imports of these products from Vietnam and China were estimated at 77 million USD and 989.9 million USD, respectively.

VNA