All six Commissioners voted in the affirmative.
As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will issue antidumping orders on imports of these products from China, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Commission's public report Certain Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from China, Malaysia, and Thailand (Investigation Nos. 731-TA-1043-1045 (Final), USITC Publication 3710, July 2004) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.
Copies may be obtained after August 13, 2004, by calling 202-205-1809 or from the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be made by fax to 202- 205-2104.
Product Description: The products subject to these investigations, as defined by the Department of Commerce, are polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs), which also may be variously referred to as t-shirt sacks, merchandise bags, grocery bags, or checkout bags, are non-sealable sacks and bags with handles (including drawstrings), without zippers or integral extruded closures, with or without gussets, with or without printing, of polyethylene film having a thickness no greater than 0.035 inch (0.889 mm) and no less than 0.00035 inch (0.00889 mm), and with no length or width shorter than 6 inches (15.24 cm) or longer than 40 inches (101.6 cm). PRCBs are typically provided without any consumer packaging and free of charge by retail establishments (e.g., grocery, drug, convenience, department, specialty retail, discount stores, and restaurants) to their customers to package and carry their purchased products. The scope of the investigations excludes (1) polyethylene bags that are not printed with logos or store names and that are closeable with drawstrings made of polyethylene film and (2) polyethylene bags that are packed in consumer packaging with printing that refers to specific end uses other than packaging and carrying merchandise from retail establishments (e.g., garbage bags, lawn bags, and trash can liners). The merchandise subject to these investigations is provided for in subheading 3923.21.0090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).
Status of Proceedings: 1. Type of investigations: Final antidumping. 2. Petitioners: Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bag Committee, an ad hoc coalition of U.S. PRCB producers consisting of Inteplast Group Ltd., Livingston, NJ; PCL Packaging, Inc., Barrie Ontario; Sonoco Products Co. (now owned by Hilex Poly Co., LLC), Hartsville, SC; Superbag Corp., Houston, TX; and Vanguard Plastics, Inc., Farmers Branch, TX. 3. Investigations instituted by USITC: June 20, 2003. 4. Hearing: June 10, 2004. 5. USITC vote: July 15, 2004. 6. USITC notification of Department of Commerce: August 2, 2004. U.S. Industry: 1. Number of U.S. operations in 2003: 24. 2. Production volume is concentrated in the South/Southeast, Northeast, and West. 3. Employment of production and related workers: 1/ 4. U.S. producers' shipments in 2003: 1/ 5. U.S. apparent consumption in 2003: 1/ 6. Ratio of quantity of total imports to U.S. apparent consumption in 2003: 1/ U.S. Imports: 1. Quantity of subject imports in 2003: 1/ 2. Value of subject imports in 2003: 1/ ______________________ 1/ Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.