Commerce Seeks Comments on Whether to Declare Russia an NME for AD Duty Purposes

The Commerce Department seeks comments by Aug. 30 on whether Russia should be considered a non-market economy country for antidumping duty purposes, it said in a notice issued as part of the AD duty investigation on urea ammonium nitrate solutions from Russia (A-821-831). The domestic producer that requested the investigation “has provided sufficient evidence” of potential NME status for Russia for Commerce to consider the issue as part of the proceeding, the agency said. Commerce has treated Russia as a market economy since 2002. NME companies subject to AD duty proceedings must prove independence from government control, or else be assigned to the country-wide entity with AD rates that can reach into the hundreds percent. Comments can be submitted by the general public, and should address issues such as the extent to which wage rates are influenced by free bargaining, the extend of government ownership and control, and government control over price and output decisions.