March 8, 2024
News Release 24-022
Inv. No(s). 701-TA-704-705 and 731-TA-1664-1666
Contact: Philip Stone, 202-205-1819
USITC Votes to Continue Investigations on Paper Plates from China, Thailand, and Vietnam

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of paper plates from China, Thailand, and Vietnam that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the governments of China and Vietnam.

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

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue its investigations of imports of paper plates from China, Thailand, and Vietnam, with its preliminary countervailing duty determinations due on or about April 19, 2024, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on or about July 3, 2024.

The Commission’s public report Paper Plates from China, Thailand, and Vietnam (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-704-705 and 731-TA-1664-1666 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 5499, March 2024) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

The report will be available by April 5, 2024; 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

Paper Plates from China, Thailand, and Vietnam
Investigation Nos: 701-TA-704-705 and 731-TA-1664-1666 (Preliminary)

Product Description:  Certain paper plates, which may be cut from rolls, sheets, or other pieces of paper and/or paper board; have a depth up to and including two inches, as measured vertically from the base to the top of the lip, or the edge if the plate has no lip; uncolored, white, colored, or printed; may have any type of surface finish; and printed by any means with images, text and/or colors on one or both surfaces. Paper plates may be produced from paper of any type; have any caliper or basis weight; have any shape or size; have one or more than one section; be embossed; have foil or other substances adhered to their surface; and/or be uncoated or coated with any type of coating.

Status of Proceedings:

  1. Type of investigation:  Preliminary countervailing duty and antidumping duty investigations.
  2. Petitioners:  American Paper Plate Coalition ("APPC"), which comprises AJM Packaging Corporation, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Aspen Products, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri; Dart Container Corporation, Mason, Michigan; Hoffmaster Group, Inc., Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Huhtamaki Americas, Inc., De Soto, Kansas; and Unique Industries, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  3. USITC Institution Date:  Thursday, January 25, 2024.
  4. USITC Conference Date:  Thursday, February 15, 2024.
  5. USITC Vote Date:  Friday, March 8, 2024.
  6. USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Monday, March 11, 2024.

U.S. Industry in 2022:

  1. Number of U.S. producers:  7.
  2. Location of producers’ plants:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
  3. Production and related workers:   1  
  4. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments:  1
  5. Apparent U.S. consumption:  1
  6. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption:  1

U.S. Imports in 2022:

  1. Subject imports:  1
  2. Nonsubject imports:  1
  3. Leading import sources:  China.

_______________________________

  1 Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.

 

# # #