【英语中国】美商务部或将做出对中国输美铝材不利决定

The U.S. Commerce Department is expected Tuesday to find that $550 million in imported Chinese aluminum was illegally subsidized by the Chinese government, people familiar with the situation said, potentially leading to higher import duties as early next week.

The preliminary decision could boost costs for some U.S. manufacturers, pitting some U.S. aluminum companies against their American manufacturing customers. The decision, in the latest big U.S. trade case involving China, comes as the White House faces increasing concern about the labor market and the fragile economy and underscores the delicate balance between supporting free trade and American jobs. The Commerce Department on Friday reported that imports surged at a 32.4% annual rate in the second quarter, the fastest pace since 1984.

Following the success of the U.S. steel industry in dumping cases against foreign producers, several midsize and small domestic aluminum companies banded together alleging that Chinese-made aluminum extrusions hurt the U.S. industry between 2007 and 2009. The $3.57 billion domestic annual market for aluminum extrusions -- squeezed out shapes of aluminum -- includes companies that assemble the extrusions for aluminum siding, door frames, bicycles and other products. The aerospace industry isn't affected by the extrusions case.

China is the world's largest exporter of aluminum extrusions, with such exports increasing at least tenfold last year from about 60,000 metric tons in 2001. Canada and Australia have made similar claims to the Commerce Department's. Canada last year levied dumping duties on Chinese aluminum extrusions and a case is pending in Australia.

Once the preliminary duty is announced, the penalty can be assessed in about a week's time. Importers of Chinese aluminum extrusions would then have to post cash deposit or bonds for the assessed duties. A full investigation and a final ruling, at which point the amount of the duty could well change, typically takes several months to a year or so.

China's share of the U.S. extrusion market rose to 20.1% last year from 8% in 2007. At the same time, U.S. manufacturers' capacity-utilization rate, which measures how much of a factory's capability is in use, fell to 49.6% from 68.3%.

Chinese producers and importers say the weak U.S. economy, rather than imports, has hurt U.S. producers and that some of the companies complaining to the Commerce Department had purchased Chinese aluminum extrusions for product manufacturing.

Peter Koenig, an outside counsel for Zhaoqing New Zhongyua Aluminum Co. which makes aluminum extrusions in China and has a U.S. based import division, said the company hasn't received benefits, grants or loans from the Chinese government. 'There is really not a foundation to have a subsidy finding,' he said.

He said many Chinese importers didn't respond when the U.S. government sought response on allegations of illegal subsidy. 'Many of the main exporters did not cooperate,' Mr. Koenig said, adding that his client did respond.

The aluminum industry, which filed its last trade case in 2004, has been far less active in filing trade cases than the steel industry. Late last year, the U.S. steel industry won its biggest case against Chinese importers, who, it was ruled, had dumped $2.8 billion of illegally subsidized steel.

'I think the domestic aluminum extruders are pushing for this tariff after the success the steel industry has had in reducing Chinese imports,' said Bruce Schwartz, president of fence maker Jerith Manufacturing Co., near Philadelphia. He is concerned that the Chinese will be able to avoid penalties by sending complete fences instead of extruded fence parts.

'If a product like my fence or an aluminum ladder is shipped fully assembled into the U.S., it will completely avoid the tariff, giving a significant price advantage to the Chinese producers,' Mr. Schwartz said. He said he laid off workers as a result of the weak economy and doesn't expect to rehire them at this point even if the ruling leads to fewer imports and higher prices for Chinese products.

Duncan Crowdis, president of Bonnell Aluminum, which makes doors for office towers and hotels and is one of the domestic petitioners, said Chinese imports have overwhelmed the market and depressed prices. His Newnan, Ga., company, a unit of Tredegar Corp., has cut its work force to about 850 from 1,300 in 2007. Prices, he said, have fallen between 30% and 50% over that time, mostly as a result of Chinese imports, but also because of the weak economy.

The U.S. International Trade Commission, which investigates whether foreign products are illegally dumped or cause injury to domestic producers, this year issued its ruling in this case and found that U.S. aluminum extruders were injured. It is expected to announce an antidumping duty in October. That duty would be in addition to the duty levied for illegally subsidies.

情人士表示，美国商务部(U.S. Commerce Department)有望在周二确定，价值5.5亿美元的中国输美铝型材获得了中国政府非法补贴，这可能导致美国在下周早些时候对中国铝型材实施更高的进口关税。

这个初步决定可能会增加美国一些制造企业的成本，使一些美国铝业公司与其美国制造商客户产生敌对情绪。这一决定事关中美之间最新的一起重要贸易案，正值美国白宫面临着人们对本国劳动力市场和脆弱经济的担忧不断加重的局面，凸显了在支持自由贸易和美国人就业之间的微妙平衡。周五商务部公布报告称，第二季度美国年进口率暴增32%，创1984年以来的最大增幅。

继美国钢铁行业在反对外国制造商倾销案中获胜之后，美国几个中小型铝业公司联合起来声称，中国制造的铝型材在2007至2009年间伤害了美国铝业。铝型材是将铝挤压制成，每年美国对铝型材的市场需求为35.7亿美元，包括铝板、门框、自行车及其它产品的铝型材组装企业。航天业没有受到铝型材案的影响。

中国是世界上最大的铝型材出口国，去年铝型材的出口量至少是2001年约6万吨出口量的10倍。加拿大和澳大利亚也提出了跟美国商务部类似的权利主张。去年加拿大对中国铝型材实施了倾销关税，而澳大利亚对中国的铝型材反倾销案还未作出裁定。

一旦宣布征收初步关税，处罚结果可在一周左右评定出来。而后，中国铝型材的美国进口商需为评定的关税交付现金形式的定金或债券。全面调查以及最终裁定一般要耗费数月以致一年左右的时间，关税数额可能根据裁定结果有所变动。

中国在美国铝型材市场的份额从2007年的8%跃至去年的20.1%。同时，美国制造商的产能利用率(capacity-utilization rate)从68.3%跌至49.6%，产能利用率衡量的是一座工厂生产能力的利用程度。

中国制造商和进口商表示，伤害美国铝型材制造商的是美国疲软的经济，而不是进口。他们还称，一些向美国商务部抱怨的美国公司为生产铝制品已购买了中国铝型材。

肇庆新中亚铝业有限公司外聘顾问柯尼格（Peter Koenig）表示，该公司从未收到来自中国政府的补助、资金或贷款，判定中国政府补贴纯属无稽之谈。新中亚铝业公司是中国铝型材制造商，有一个设在美国的进口部门。

他说，美国政府对非法补贴的指控寻求答复时，很多中国进口商未对此事做出反应。柯尼格表示，很多主要铝型材出口商并不配合调查。他补充说新中亚铝业的确为此做出了答复。

最近的一起铝业贸易案发生在2004年，相比钢铁行业，铝业在发动贸易战方面并不那么活跃。去年晚些时候，美国钢铁业打赢了针对中国进口商发起的最大规模反倾销案，案件裁定中国向美国倾销了价值28亿美元的非法补贴钢材。

美国费城附近一家围栏制造公司Jerith Manufacturing Co.总裁舒瓦兹（Bruce Schwartz）说，他认为自从美国钢铁业在反倾销案中获胜并减少了来自中国的钢材进口之后，美国国内铝型材制造商就竭力要求对中国进口铝型材施加反倾销关税。他担心中国为避免惩罚，向美国出口围栏成品而不是围栏零件压制品。

舒瓦兹表示，如果围栏或铝制梯子等产品直接以组装成品的形式出口到美国，就完全可以避掉关税，从而给中国制造商创造了极其有利的价格优势。他说，由于美国经济疲软，他解雇了一些工人，即使最终裁定导致中国进口减少、中国产品价格走高，在这个节骨眼上他也不会再重新请回那些工人。

制造写字楼和酒店大门以及此次反倾销请愿者之一的美国铝业公司Bonnell Aluminum总裁克劳蒂斯（Duncan Crowdis）说，中国进口铝型材充斥于美国市场，压低了铝型材价格。他同时兼任美国卓德嘉集团(Tredegar Corp.)旗下的一个子公司Newnan, Ga.的老板，该公司将2007年时拥有的1300名员工的团队裁至只剩850人左右。他说铝型材的价格在那段时间跌落了30-50%，这主要归罪于中国进口，不过也有美国经济疲软的原因。

美国国际贸易委员会(U.S. International Trade Commission)负责调查进口商品是否属于非法倾销或是否对美国国内制造商造成伤害，今年该委员会对本案作出了裁定，确认美国铝型材制造商受到了伤害。预计10月将公布反倾销关税，届时这将成为反补贴税之外征收的又一关税。