US starts dumping probes on alloy aluminum sheet from 18 countries

　　The petitions for each investigation were filed by the Aluminum Association Common Alloy Aluminum Sheet Trade Enforcement Working Group, which includes representatives from several companies that operate aluminum rolling mills in the US, Commerce said in a statement.

　　The antidumping investigations will target producers from Bahrain, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Oman, South Korea, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey.

　　The alleged dumping margins for each country range between 12.51% (Romania) and 151% (India).

　　The countervailing duty investigations include producers in Bahrain, Brazil, India and Turkey.

　　Of the four countries under investigation for receiving unfair government subsidies, Indian producers are alleged to have received the most subsidies through 43 programs.

　　Commerce said the 22 petitions that were filed for the investigations were the most petitions filed simultaneously for any single product since 2001.

　　Duties will be imposed if Commerce makes affirmative findings in any of the individual investigations, and if the US International Trade Commission determines that the dumped or unfairly subsidized imports of common alloy aluminum sheet materially injured the US industry.

　　The ITC will make its preliminary determinations on or before April 23. If the ITC determines there is a reasonable indication of material injury or threat of material injury, Commerce will continue its investigation.

　　Last week, industry group European Aluminum said it "profoundly regrets" the petitions that were submitted to Commerce for the antidumping investigations into US imports of common alloy aluminum sheet from European countries.

　　"We are very concerned about the possibility of having additional trade barriers between the US and Europe," European Aluminium Director General Gerd G?tz said in a statement.

　　"Instead of imposing additional duties on each other, we should work together to address the root cause of the challenges faced by the aluminum industries on both sides of the Atlantic, namely the growing subsidized excess capacity of aluminium in China," G?tz added.

　　In a separate statement earlier this month, the Aluminum Association emphasized the importance of the investigations.

　　"This action reflects both the intensive injury being suffered by US aluminum sheet producers and also the industry's unwavering commitment to ensure that the US unfair trade laws are enforced to create a level playing field," Lauren Wilk, the association's vice president for policy and international trade, said in the statement.