The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has set preliminary duties ranging from 0 to 27.01 percent on multilayered wood flooring from China. The 27.01 duty applies to 127 Chinese producers or exporters who failed to respond to requests for information. Two mandatory respondents -- Zhejiang Layo Wood Industry Co. Ltd., its affiliate Jiaxing Brilliant Import & Export Co. Ltd., and Zhejiang Yuhua Timber Co. -- were not penalized. A duty of 2.25 percent was imposed on one mandatory respondent, Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Ltd. and its affiliates Great Wood (Tonghua) Ltd. and Fine Furniture Plantation (Shishou) Ltd., along with 67 other Chinese producers/exporters.

“Although we hoped for a finding of zero subsidies across the board, consistent with the realities of the Chinese market, we are pleased that at least the Commerce Department determined a subsidy level of only 2.25% for the companies that responded to the Commerce Department’s questionnaire,” said Jonathan Train, president of the Alliance for Free Choice and Jobs in Flooring (AFCJF), which was formed to combat the countervailing/anti-dumping petition sent to the DOC/U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

“Individual American importers will have to assess the business impact of the DOC announcement for themselves,” he added.

The DOC is expected to make a preliminary anti-dumping determination during the week of May 19. The final DOC and ITC countervailing determinations are set to be made June 6 and July 21, respectively, with the issuance of order to be made on July 28. The final anti-dumping determinations are expected this fall. For more information, visitia.ita.doc.gov/download/factsheets/factsheet-prc-mwf-cvd-prelim-032211.pdf

CORRECTION:A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the number of companies receiving a duty of 2.25 percent. Additionally, Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Ltd., one of the mandatory respondents, was not reported as receiving a rate of 2.25 percent. The final determination timelines have also been revised.