November 17, 2022
News Release 22-124
Inv. No(s). 731-TA-1574
Contact: Elizabeth Nesbitt, 202-205-1819
Superabsorbent Polymers from South Korea Injures U.S. Industry, Says USITC

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of superabsorbent polymers from South Korea that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.

Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, Randolph J. Stayin, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative. 

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determination, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order on imports of this product from South Korea.

The Commission’s public report Superabsorbent Polymers from South Korea (Inv. No. 731-TA-1574 (Final), USITC Publication 5388, December 2022) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

The report will be available by January 2, 2023; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: https://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436

FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS

Superabsorbent Polymers from South Korea
Investigation No. 731-TA-1574 (Final)

Product Description:  The merchandise covered by this investigation is superabsorbent polymers (SAP), which is cross-linked sodium polyacrylate most commonly conforming to Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number 9003-04-7, where at least 90 percent of the dry matter, by weight on a nominal basis, corrected for moisture content, is comprised of a polymer with a chemical formula of (C3H3O2NaxH1-x)n, where x is within a range of 0.00-1.00 and there is no limit to n. The subject merchandise also includes merchandise with a chemical formula of {(C2H3)COONayH(1-y)}n, where y is within a range of 0.00-1.00 and there is no limit to n. The subject merchandise includes SAP which is fully neutralized as well as SAP that is not fully neutralized. The subject merchandise may also conform to other CAS numbers. All forms and sizes of SAP, regardless of packaging type, including but not limited to granules, pellets, powder, fibers, flakes, liquid, or gel are within this investigation. It also includes SAP whether or not it incorporates additives for anticaking, anti-odor, anti-yellowing, or similar functions. The investigation also includes SAP that is combined, commingled, or mixed with other products after final sieving. For such combined products, only the SAP component is covered in this investigation.  

Status of Proceedings:
  1. Type of investigation:  Final antidumping duty investigation.
  2. Petitioners:  Ad Hoc Coalition of American SAP Producers, whose members include BASF Corporation, Florham Park, NJ; Evonik  Superabsorber LLC, Greensboro, NC; and Nippon Shokubai America Industries, Inc., Pasadena, TX.
  3. USITC Institution Date:  Tuesday, November 02, 2021.
  4. USITC Hearing Date:  Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
  5. USITC Vote Date:  Thursday, November 17, 2022.
  6. USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Thursday, December 08, 2022.
U.S. Industry in 2021:
  1. Number of U.S. producers:  3.
  2. Location of producers’ plants:  Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas.
  3. Production and related workers:   1
  4. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments:  $580 million.
  5. Apparent U.S. consumption:  1
  6. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption:  1
U.S. Imports in 2021:
  1. Subject imports:  1
  2. Nonsubject imports:  1
  3. Leading import sources:  South Korea, the European Union, Canada, and Japan.

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  1 Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.

 

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