[ferro-alloys.com]The US imposed preliminary antidumping duties on Chinese common alloy aluminum sheet Tuesday.

The Department of Commerce imposed preliminary antidumping margins of 167.16%. US Customs and Border Protection must collect cash deposits from companies importing the goods as a result of the preliminary determination.

"The Department of Commerce will do everything in its power to stop the flow of unfairly subsidized or dumped goods into US markets," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement.

The antidumping investigation now moves into its final phase, where Commerce must make a final decision on antidumping margins, and the US International Trade Commission determines whether imports of the goods harm US industry. Both decisions are scheduled for October.

Typically, members of the industry petition the government to launch antidumping or countervailing duty investigations.

However, Commerce self-initiated the antidumping investigation in late 2017, the first time it had done so in over 30 years. Commerce also launched a countervailing duty investigation at the same time, which is now in its final phase.

"The strict enforcement of US trade law is a primary focus of the Trump administration. Since the beginning of the current administration, Commerce has initiated 118 new AD and CVD investigations -- this is 59% more than the 74 initiations in the last 514 days of the previous administration," Commerce said in a statement.

ALUMINUM ASSOCIATION SUPPORTIVE OF ACTION

Heidi Brock, the Aluminum Association's president, said in response to the move: "The association and its member companies that produce common alloy aluminum sheet are very pleased with this finding that again underscores the Commerce Department's commitment to combatting unfair trade."

"Today's action by the Commerce Department is exactly the kind of strong, targeted trade enforcement we need in support of the rules-based global trading system," Brock added.

Common alloy aluminum sheet, a flat-rolled product, is often used for building, transportation, and electrical purposes. 

• [Editor:王可]