Arkema helps DOC efforts to cease unlawful imports of R-410B refrigerant

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The American HFC Coalition applauds the U.S. Division of Commerce for initiating an anti-circumvention inquiry to find out whether or not imports of Chinese language hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are circumventing the 2016 antidumping obligation order on HFC blends. Since 2016, Chinese language exporters and importers have repeatedly tried to evade antidumping duties and proceed sending unfairly traded HFCs to the American market.

Chinese language producers have shipped Chinese language HFC elements, together with R-125, R-32, R-134a and R-143a, to India, Turkey, Malaysia, and now Mexico in an effort to avoid antidumping duties.

Chinese language exporters and importers additionally ship HFC blends, equivalent to R-410B, that do not need any commercially accredited use, in order that these unapproved HFC refrigerant blends may be merely reblended after importation. The choice by the U.S. Division of Commerce to analyze this technique with respect to R-410B from Mexico is another essential step to cease these unfair commerce practices.

In a separate e-mail obtained November 9, Arkema and its Forane^® Refrigerants staff introduced their full assist of the U.S. Division of Commerce of their continued probe surrounding imported refrigerant blends which circumvent anti-dumping orders.

Commerce’s newest initiation constitutes the ninth anti-circumvention inquiry initiated since 2016. Beforehand, Commerce discovered that “unfinished” HFC blends from China have been circumventing the antidumping order. It equally discovered that HFC blends utilizing Chinese language elements blended in India have been circumventing the order. And, it discovered that imports of a patented mix, which have been reblended in america after importation, have been circumventing the order.

In July of this yr, the U.S. Division of Commerce initiated a number of anti-circumvention inquiries to handle the 340% enhance within the quantity of R-410B imports originating in China or blended in Turkey from Chinese language elements.

In July of this yr, the U.S. Division of Commerce initiated a number of anti-circumvention inquiries to handle the 340% enhance within the quantity of R-410B imports originating in China or blended in Turkey from Chinese language elements. Such imports may be reblended at a fraction of the price of manufacturing HFCs. For instance, R-410B is well reblended into R-410A, which may then be bought within the U.S. market. Because of this, U.S. HFC producers endure depressed costs, declining gross sales revenues, and misplaced market share.

The identical circumventing exercise is now occurring in Mexico. Imports of HFC blends from Mexico elevated by greater than 1,600% between 2022 to 2023 although Mexico doesn’t produce the HFC elements (i.e., R-125 or R-32) used to provide these HFC blends. On the similar time, Mexican imports of HFC elements from China have surged. With these Chinese language-origin elements, Mexican blenders have been in a position to ship a big quantity of R-410B to america in 2023, that are subsequently reblended in america into merchandise coated by the HFC blends order.

The American HFC Coalition trusts that this inquiry will uncover the relentless efforts by Chinese language exporters and importers to flee the self-discipline of the antidumping obligation order by flooding the U.S. market with unfairly low-priced HFC refrigerants and can treatment the hurt to the home trade by making use of the total extent of the regulation. We anticipate that the U.S. Division of Commerce will proceed shortly with its investigation and can problem a last willpower inside 300 days.