Trade Cases

Commerce Finds Dumping of Metal Tool Chests from China and Vietnam

Written by Sandy Williams


The Commerce Department announced a preliminary finding of dumping in the investigation of metal tool chests and cabinets imported from China and Vietnam.

The investigation was initiated by a petition from Waterloo Industries, in Sedalia, Missouri. The investigation covers all metal tool chests and cabinets, including top chests, intermediate chests, tool cabinets and side cabinets, storage units, mobile work benches, and work stations from China and Vietnam including those prepackaged for retail sale in a third country prior to importation to the United States.

In 2016, imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam were valued at an estimated $230 million and $77 million, respectively.

Preliminary dumping rates are as follows:

Next Steps

Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determinations in March 2018. If both Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) make affirmative final determinations that imports of tool chests and cabinets from China and Vietnam materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry in the United States, Commerce will issue AD orders.

The ITC is scheduled to make its final injury determinations by May 7, 2018.

Latest in Trade Cases

Leibowitz on trade: What the election means for steel

I joined in a Steel Market Update community chat last week. Predictably, many of the questions concerned the likely results of a Trump or Harris victory in the election. Like most people, I don’t know who will win. But by next week I probably will know. Here is my take, with an emphasis on steel policy. There are a surprising number of similarities between the Democratic and Republican candidates’ positions on steel policy. In part, that is because both candidates are going after the same voters—steel workers, whether unionized or not.