April 16, 2024
News Release 24-034
Inv. No(s). 731-TA-1626 (Final)
Contact: Jennifer Andberg, 202-205-1819
Paper Shopping Bags from Turkey Injure 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 paper shopping bags from Turkey 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, 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 Turkey. 

The Commission’s public report Paper Shopping Bags from Turkey (Inv. No. 731-TA-1626 (Final), USITC Publication 5504, April 2024) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

The report will be available by May 14, 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 Shopping Bags from Turkey
Investigation No: 731-TA-1626 (Final)

Product Description: The merchandise covered by this investigation is certain paper shopping bags (PSBs), which have handles of any type, regardless of whether there is any printing, regardless of how the top edges are finished (e.g., folded, serrated, or otherwise finished), regardless of color, and regardless of whether the top edges contain adhesive or other material for sealing closed. PSBs have a width of at least 4.5 inches and depth of at least 2.5 inches. PSBs typically are made of kraft paper but can be made from any type of cellulose fiber, paperboard, or pressboard with a basis weight less than 300 grams per square meter (GSM). A non-exhaustive illustrative list of the types of handles on PSBs include handles made from any materials such as twisted paper, flat paper, yarn, ribbon, rope, string, or plastic, as well as die-cut handles (whether the punchout is fully removed or partially attached as a flap).

Status of Proceedings:

  1. Type of investigation:  Final antidumping duty investigation. 
  2. Petitioner: The Coalition for Fair Trade in Shopping Bags, a coalition whose members include Novolex Holdings, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina, and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 
  3. USITC Institution Date:  Wednesday, May 31, 2023. 
  4. USITC Hearing Date:  Thursday, March 14, 2024. 
  5. USITC Vote Date:  Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
  6. USITC Notification to Commerce Date:  Thursday, May 2, 2024.

U.S. Industry in 2023:

  1. Number of U.S. producers:  4.
  2. Location of producers’ plants:  Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
  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 2023:

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

1 Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.

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