Berwick Offray Files Dumping and Subsidy Petitions Against Unfairly Priced Plastic Decorative Ribbon Imports from China

December 27, 2017

Washington, DC — Today, Berwick Offray LLC (Berwick Offray) formally filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, asserting that imports of plastic decorative ribbon from China are being sold in the United States at “dumped prices.” The petition also asserts that Chinese producers are receiving government subsidies prohibited by U.S. and international law. Taken together, these unfair trade actions cause material injury to the U.S. plastic decorative ribbon industry.

Improper subsidies have enabled Chinese producers to export products into the United States at prices that are well below fair market value. The import data demonstrate that these tactics have enabled China to increase its volume of imports into the United States and to capture an ever-growing share of the U.S. ribbon market, taking sales directly from U.S. producers. The petitions filed today estimate dumping margins as high as 370%.

“The U.S. plastic decorative ribbon industry and its workers are suffering today as a result of dumped and subsidized imports from China,” said Daniel B. Pickard, counsel to Berwick Offray and a partner in the International Trade Practice at Wiley Rein LLP. “We urge the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission to investigate these unfair trade practices and apply the remedies specified by U.S. law.” In preparing this petition, Wiley Rein worked alongside International Economic Research LLC and Capital Trade Inc. consulting firms specializing in international economics and trade remedies.

Berwick Offray is headquartered in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and is a leading U.S. manufacturer of plastic decorative ribbon products, including seasonal and packaging ribbons and bows. Mr. Pickard stated that “the Administration must take steps to preserve the U.S. ribbon industry by combating the rising tide of unfairly traded imports from China.”