December 12, 2024 – US Department of Commerce Postpones Final Ruling on Epoxy Resins Anti-Dumping Case from China to March 2025
The US Department of Commerce has recently announced a postponement of the final ruling date for the Less Than Fair Value (LTFV) case, concerning imports of certain epoxy resins from China, to March 28, 2025. Concurrently, the implementation period for temporary measures has been extended from the original four months to a maximum of six months. This decision comes as an adjustment made according to relevant procedures.
Looking back at the case, the Department of Commerce initiated an LTFV investigation on April 23, 2024, targeting epoxy resins imported from China. The investigation encompassed trade data from October 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. After a preliminary review, the department issued a preliminary ruling on November 13, 2024, finding evidence of sales at less than fair value. This ruling attracted significant attention within the industry.
According to sources from the Color Masterbatch Industry Network, Huntsman Advanced Materials (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., as the primary exporter and mandatory respondent in this case, swiftly acted following the preliminary ruling. On November 18, 2024, the company formally submitted a request to the Department of Commerce for an extension, seeking to postpone the final ruling deadline to 135 days from the preliminary ruling’s announcement, i.e., March 28, 2025, and to extend the application period for temporary measures to a maximum of six months. After careful consideration, the Department of Commerce granted this application.
This extension undoubtedly adds more uncertainty to the case. While it does not directly imply a significant change in the case’s outcome, it does provide exporters with additional time to prepare and submit new materials to challenge the potential ruling. If exporters can present persuasive new evidence, the case’s result could still be subject to change. Therefore, all parties will continue to closely monitor the subsequent developments of this case.