US imposes duties on ribbons from China

The United States has slapped preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging up to 231.4 per cent on gift box and other types of narrow woven ribbons from China it said were unfairly priced.

The US Commerce Department hit Taiwan, which exports far more ribbons to the US, with much lower duties ranging up to 4.54 per cent. The action came on the same day that Beijing announced heavy anti-dumping duties on US chicken parts, in the latest of a series of spats that have strained trade relations.

But the case filed by Berwick Offray, a 65-year-old US company based in Berwick, Pennsylvania that claims to be the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of decorative ribbons and bows, has been in the works for months.

US companies have filed dozens of trade cases against their Chinese competitors in recent years, complaining of unfair trade practices and below-market pricing.

Berwick was joined in the case by its wholly owned subsidiary, Lion Ribbon, a 110-year-old firm.

Imports of the narrow woven ribbons totalled $68.1 million (Dh250m) in value from Taiwan and $32.7m from China in 2007.

But shipments fell dramatically in 2008, when the financial crisis battered US consumer demands. Imports totalled $32.4m from Taiwan and $12.1m from China in first 11 months of 2009. The US Commerce Department said one Chinese firm, Yama Ribbons and Bows, would not be hit with any duties.

But it imposed a preliminary rate of 115.7 per cent on 13 other producers or exporters.

Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the Emirates Business 24|7 daily newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.