Local firms say they are not dumping as they make a profit
Hong Kong firms are steamed up over a United States anti-dumping ruling on ironing boards, saying it wrinkles the level playing field of global trade.
The US Department of Commerce said on Wednesday that mainland and Hong Kong firms were dumping floor-standing metal-top ironing boards at below fair value on the US market. The verdict specified dumping margins for specific products ranging from 6.6 to 113.8 per cent.
The dumping margin is the difference between the selling price and the average market price, or 'fair value'. If the US government subsequently deems that the imported goods materially injure, or threaten to materially injure, the domestic industry, it can impose duties of amounts up to the dumping margin, as allowed under World Trade Organisation guidelines. The US International Trade Commission will decide whether to impose anti-dumping duties by July 30.
US ironing board companies have been hard-pressed to compete with mainland rivals, which retail their products at less than US$2.
The anti-dumping petition was filed by Home Products International, which supplies retailers Wal-Mart and Target, to which mainland competitors also sell. The firm posted a loss of US$11.3 million last year on a 6 per cent fall in revenue to $233.6 million, blaming competitive pressure and decreased orders, Reuters said.
