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From Home Furnishing Business
AMA Responds to ITC Determination, Anti-Dumping Investigation to Continue
May 15,
2020 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
The American Mattress Alliance has released its comments regarding the determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Thursday, May 14, 2020 that there is a reasonable indication that subject imports have injured the domestic industry in the antidumping and countervailing duty investigation of Mattresses from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam, Inv. Nos. 701-TA-645 and 731-TA-1495-1501. A negative determination would have ended the investigation.
The ITC will release its views, outlining the basis for its decision, later this month. The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), which investigates dumping and subsidization, has already begun its investigation of specific companies in each of the countries subject to investigation. Its investigation will continue through the remainder of this year.
Eric Emerson, chair of the International Trade & Investment Group at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, explained the implications of the ITC’s vote. “Later this year, the ITC will again have the opportunity to consider whether imports have injured the domestic mattress industry. We are confident that with more time to consider the complex facts of this market, and by applying the higher statutory standard of causation required in a final phase investigation, the ITC will conclude that imports from these countries have not harmed the domestic industry.”
Bryce Larsen, communication chair for the American Mattress Alliance said, “While this determination is disappointing, we believe the ITC and DOC will continue their due diligence and find our arguments are strongly supported by facts.” He continued, “The evidence proves no dumping is occurring. Retailers as starkly different as Walmart and single-store businesses can agree on that, and they are siding with respondents.”
In a submission to the ITC from Walmart, they pointed out a disconnect between the petitioners and the American consumer.
Walmart respectfully requests that the Commission carefully consider the key product differentiators and market segments in the U.S. mattress industry…Upon examination, it is clear that imports support an underserved market and one that does not compare to the offerings for domestically-produced product.
Due to travel restrictions from to COVID-19, the in-person hearings were replaced with paper submissions of more than 1,700 pages from the respondents.