U.S. Trade Commission: China’s large vertical shaft engine imports hurt U.S. industry

The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that imports of large vertical shaft engines from China constitute substantial injury to the U.S. industry and that the U.S. Department of Commerce will impose anti-dumping duties on imports of such engines.

The U.S. International Trade Commission made the ruling on Feb. 2. Prior to that, the U.S. Department of Commerce had determined that large vertical shaft engines imported from China were subsidized by the Chinese government and sold at less than fair prices in the U.S. market.

The U.S. International Trade Commission explained that the large vertical shaft engines involved in this case are spark-ignition single-cylinder or multi-cylinder air-cooled internal combustion engines with vertical power shafts and exhaust capacities between 225 cfm and 999 cfm, primarily used in weed whackers.

The International Trade Commission said that as a result of the current ruling, the U.S. Department of Commerce will impose anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on imports of such products from China. However, because the Commission made a negative finding on the key circumstance that imports of this product from China were sold in the United States at less than fair value, such imports will therefore not be subject to retroactive anti-dumping duties as in the past.