The trade authorities have proposed imposing preliminary anti-dumping duties of up to 38.89% on sodium hydroxide imports from China and Taiwan, citing damage to the domestic industry from low-priced imports.
On August 20, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Trade Commission held its 476th meeting and announced its preliminary findings in the anti-dumping investigation into sodium hydroxide from China and Taiwan.
Sodium hydroxide, a white solid, is used in the production of soaps and detergents, pH control in processes, and the processing and refining of textiles, pulp, and paper. Currently, sodium hydroxide from China is imported duty-free under the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), while a 5.5% tariff applies to imports from Taiwan under World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements.
In March, Youngjin requested the anti-dumping investigation, and the Trade Commission has been investigating four companies, including three from China and Formosa from Taiwan.
The preliminary investigation concluded that products from China and Taiwan were being imported at prices below normal, causing substantial harm to the domestic industry. To prevent further damage during the ongoing investigation, the commission recommended imposing preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from 3.66% to 22.21% on three Chinese companies and 38.89% on Formosa from Taiwan to the Minister of Economy and Finance.
The Trade Commission plans to conduct further investigations, including on-site inspections and gathering opinions from stakeholders, to determine the existence of dumping, the extent of harm to the domestic industry, and the final anti-dumping duty rates.
Additionally, the Trade Commission held a public hearing on the investigation of domestic industry harm related to printing plates from China, gathering opinions from key stakeholders, including domestic producers, importers, and consumers. The commission is expected to make a final determination in October after reviewing the feedback and conducting further data collection.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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