The US May Eliminate a 23.16% Anti-dumping Duty on Silicon Metal from Shanghai Jinneng

SHANGHAI, July 15 (SMM) -- A new round fight against the US anti-dumping lawsuit on silicon metal from China is setting on. According to SMM exclusive sources, Shanghai Jinneng International Trade Co. Ltd have already answered the lawsuit and recommended the US Department of Commerce to eliminate a 23.16-percent anti-dumping duty on silicon metal from Shanghai Jinneng International Trade Co. Ltd. However, Globe Specialty Metals Inc, the largest silicon metal producer in the US, is opposed to this recommendation. The company believes that if the anti-dumping duty is eliminated to  zero, it will deal a heavy blow on spot silicon metal prices in the US and will also exert negative impact on the US silicon metal production industry.

However, current silicon metal supply is tight in the US, and most local large downstream purchasers have difficulty in securing silicon metal. Demand from the downstream companies in the US is growing, and the local aluminum alloy, organic silicon and polysilicon producers hope that they can have more options to secure silicon metal. Low-priced silicon metal from China becomes the preferences for local downstream producers.

The U.S. Department of Commerce released the final results of anti-dumping administrative review of silicon metal from China on January 6, 2010. The duty for Shanghai Jinneng International Trade Co. Ltd were 23.16%,  50.02 % for Jiangxi Gangyuan Silicon Industry Co. Ltd. and 139.49 % for all other exporters.

China's silicon metal doesn't have any price competiveness compared with local silicon metal upon the implementation of the high anti-dumping duties, so China's exports of silicon metal to the US are very limited. According to SMM sources, China's exports of silicon metal to the US from January to May 2010 were 926mt, up 88.98% YoY, accounting for 0.2% of China's total exporting volumes. With the US economy gradually recovering, demand for silicon metal from the US has constantly been growing.

People from Shanghai Jinneng International Trade Co. Ltd told that if the lawsuit goes smoothly, the 23.16-percent anti-dumping duty on silicon metal is expected to be eliminated in September 2010, and will provide a good opportunity for development of China's silicon metal export by then. 

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