Three synthetic fiber producers from the US have filed petitions alleging that dumping of fine denier polyester staple fiber from China, India, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and subsidised imports of the fiber from China and India, are causing material injury to the domestic industry.

The three producers have asked the US to investigate the dumping, subsidies, and injury and to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on the imports of fine denier PSF from the subject countries.

The petitions allege that producers in each of the five countries are dumping fine denier PSF in the US market at sizeable margins. China’s dumping margin is alleged to be 88.07 to 103.06 per cent, while that of India is 21.31 to 29.70 per cent.

The synthetic fiber producers who have filed the case are DAK Americas, Nan Ya Plastics and Auriga Polymers. They say such imports increased by 68 per cent from 2014 to 2016.

The allegations identify a number of significant national and regional programs, including preferential export financing, preferential income tax treatment, tax exemptions, rebates and credits on imports of inputs and capital goods used in the production of fine denier PSF and grants for fine denier PSF producers to assist in the development of export market and to protect against commercial risk.