On May 30, 2023, the Coalition for Fair Trade in Shopping Bags (the “Coalition”) (“Petitioner”) filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping duties on imports of certain paper shopping bags from Cambodia, China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam and the imposition of countervailing duties on imports of certain paper shopping bags from China and India.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
The following language describes the imported merchandise that Petitioner intends to be
included in the scope of these investigations:
The products within the scope of these investigations are paper shopping bags with handles of any type, regardless of whether there is any printing, regardless of how the top edges are finished (e.g., folded, serrated, or otherwise), and regardless of whether the tops can be sealed. Subject paper shopping bags have a width of at least 4.5 inches and depth of at least 2.5 inches.
Excluded from the scope are:
- Multiwall sacks and bags;
- Paper sacks or bags that are of a 1/6 or 1/7 barrel size (i.e., 11.5-12.5 inches in width, 6.5-7.5 inches in depth, and 13.5-17.5 inches in height) with flat paper handles;
- Paper sacks or bags with die-cut handles, a standard basis paper weight of less than 38 pounds, and a height of less than 11.5 inches;
- Shopping bags (i) with non-paper handles made wholly of woven ribbon or other similar woven fabric and (ii) that are finished with folded tops or for which tied knots or t-bar aglets (made of wood, metal, or plastic) are used to secure the handles to the bags; and
- Gift bags marked for retail sale that are physically bundled into the saleable unit prior to importation such that each bundled unit is composed of no less than three individual bags and no more than 30 individual bags.
This merchandise is currently classifiable under HTS item numbers 4819.30.0040
and 4819.40.0040.
PETITIONERS
Coalition for Fair Trade in Shopping Bags
COUNSEL FOR PETITIONERS
KING & SPALDING LLP
1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 737-0500
NAMED PRODUCERS/EXPORTERS For a list of foreign producers/exporters alleged by Petitioner, please see Attachment I.
NAMED IMPORTERS For a list of importers alleged by the Petitioner, please see Attachment II.
ESTIMATED SCHEDULE
| Event | Earliest Date |
| Petition Filed | May 30, 2023 |
| DOC Initiation | June 19, 2023 |
| ITC Preliminary Investigation: | |
| Questionnaires Due | June 13, 2023 |
| Request to appear at hearing | June 18, 2023 |
| Hearing | June 20, 2023 |
| Briefs | June 25, 2023 |
| ITC Vote | July 14, 2023 |
| DOC Investigation Schedule: | |
| DOC Preliminary Antidumping Determination | November 6, 2023 |
| DOC Final Antidumping Determination | January 20, 2024 |
| DOC Preliminary Countervailing Determination | August 23, 2023 |
| DOC Final Countervailing Determination | November 6, 2023 |
| ITC Final Investigation: | |
| ITC Final AD Determination | March 5, 2024 |
| ITC Final CVD Determination | December 21, 2023 |
ALLEGED DUMPING MARGINS
Cambodia: 44.29% to 221.36%
China: 133.80% to 324.24%
Colombia: 65.04%
India: 22.05% to 88.56%
Malaysia: 173.38%
Portugal: 26.71% to 204.54%
Taiwan: 44.76% to 50.13%
Turkey: 12.51% to 45.29%
Vietnam: 63.67% to 128.81%
ALLEGED COUNTERVAILING DUTY MARGINS
Above de minimis
ALLEGED SUBSIDIES
For a list of subsidies alleged by the Petitioner, please see Attachment III
IMPORTS OF SUBJECT MERCHANDISE
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Cambodia | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 804 | 2,477 | 6,041 |
| Value ($) | 1,919,910 | 7,303,416 | 18,149,670 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 2,388 | 2,948 | 3,004 |
| China | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 90,567 | 123,662 | 119,800 |
| Value ($) | 255,461,884 | 346,329,167 | 383,520,092 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 2,821 | 2,801 | 3,201 |
| Colombia | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 3,940 | 7,276 | 8,715 |
| Value ($) | 5,436,020 | 11,090,244 | 16,781,591 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 1,380 | 1,524 | 1,926 |
| India | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 7,306 | 21,318 | 37,083 |
| Value ($) | 13,069,152 | 39,315,826 | 76,766,326 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 1,789 | 1,844 | 2,070 |
| Malaysia | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 3,096 | 8,038 | 7,865 |
| Value ($) | 5,628,431 | 13,735,951 | 19,275,981 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 1,818 | 1,709 | 2,451 |
| Portugal | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 4,445 | 7,679 | 6,997 |
| Value ($) | 9,700,539 | 18,672,084 | 23,811,031 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 2,182 | 2,432 | 3,403 |
| Taiwan | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 6,133 | 10,946 | 12,197 |
| Value ($) | 12,591,002 | 21,519,027 | 27,082,710 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 2,053 | 1,966 | 2,220 |
| Turkey | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 9,194 | 14,564 | 9,232 |
| Value ($) | 15,353,127 | 27,059,683 | 23,011,914 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 1,670 | 1,858 | 2,493 |
| Vietnam | |||
| Quantity(tons) | 22,952 | 44,978 | 50,050 |
| Value ($) | 80,621,151 | 118,279,151 | 162,149,682 |
| AUV ($/tons) | 3,513 | 2,630 | 3,240 |
CONTACT US For more information concerning this petition and how it may affect your business, please contact Jeffrey Neeley, Nithya Nagarajan, or Stephen Brophy.