The US Department of Commerce has delayed its preliminary decision on an anti-dumping investigation of aluminium foil from China to provide more time to determine the market status of its economy.
The department said in a statement released on Tuesday that the deferral of the decision, previously slated for October 5, “will allow the Commerce Department to fully analyze information pertaining to China’s status as a non-market economy (NME) country, which is being contemplated within the context of this [anti-dumping] investigation.”
Determination of non-market status would entail higher duties under the rules of the World Trade Organization, which China joined in 2001. But questions remain over how to interpret a clause stating that China would be granted market economy status in December 2016.
