May 13, 2011
News Release 11-045
Inv. Nos. 701-TA-477 and 731-TA-1180-81 (P)
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of bottom mount combination refrigerator- freezers from Korea that are allegedly subsidized and from Korea and Mexico that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value.

Vice Chairman Irving A. Williamson and Commissioners Charlotte R. Lane, Daniel R. Pearson, Shara L. Aranoff, and Dean A. Pinkert voted in the affirmative. Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun did not participate in these investigations.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its countervailing duty investigation on imports of these products from Korea and its antidumping duty investigations on imports of these products from Korea and Mexico, with its preliminary countervailing duty determination due on or about June 23, 2011, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on or about September 6, 2011.

The Commission's public report Bottom Mount Combination Refrigerator-Freezers from Korea and Mexico (Investigation Nos. 701-TA-477 and 731-TA-1180-81 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 4232, May 2011) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

Copies of the report are expected to be available after June 13, 2011, by emailing pubrequest@usitc.gov, calling 202-205- 2000, or writing to the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205- 2104.

Product Description: The subject bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers covered in these investigations are from Korea and Mexico. For the purposes of this investigation, the term "bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers" denotes freestanding or built-in cabinets that have an integral source of refrigeration using compression technology, with all of the following characteristics: (1) the cabinet contains at least two interior storage compartments accessible through one or more separate external doors or drawers or a combination thereof; (2) the upper-most interior storage compartments(s) that is accessible through an external door or drawer is either a refrigerator compartment or convertible compartment, but is not a freezer compartment; and (3) there is a least one freezer or convertible compartment that is mounted below the upper-most interior stage compartments(s). Also covered by this investigation are certain assemblies used in bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers, namely: (1) any assembled cabinets designed for use in bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers that incorporate, at a minimum: (a) an external metal shell, (b) a back panel, (c) a deck, (d) an interior plastic liner, (e) wiring, and (f) insulation; (2) any assembled external doors designed for use in bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers that incorporate, at a minimum: (a) an external metal shell, (b) an interior plastic liner, and (c) insulation; and (3) any assembled external drawers designed for use in bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers that incorporate, at a minimum: (a) an external metal shell, (b) an interior plastic liner, and (c) insulation.

Status of Proceedings:                
1.  Type of investigation: Preliminary antidumping and countervailing
       duty.
2.  Petitioners: Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, MI.
3.  Petition filed with USITC: March 30, 2011.
4.  Staff Conference: April 20, 2011.
5.  USITC vote: May 13, 2011.
6.  USITC notification of Department of Commerce: May 16, 2011.

U.S. Industry:
1.  Number of U.S. producers : 5.
2.  Production is located in Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, South
       Carolina, and Tennessee.
3.  Employment of production and related workers in 2010: (1)
4.  U.S. producers shipments in 2010: (1)
5.  U.S. apparent consumption in 2010: (1)
6   Ratio of quantity of total imports to U.S. production in 2010: (1)

U.S. Imports:
1.  Total imports in 2010: (1)
2.  Total subject imports from Korea and Mexico: (1)
3.  Total non-subject imports in 2010: (1)

(1) Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.