The Committee for Fair Ammonium Nitrate Trade (COFANT) welcomed a unanimous determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on June 6 that revocation of the antidumping duty order on unfairly traded high density (fertilizer grade) ammonium nitrate from Ukraine would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of material injury to U.S. ammonium nitrate producers. As a result of the decision, the antidumping order on Ukrainian ammonium nitrate imports will remain in effect for another five years.
“We are pleased by the Commission’s vote,” said Mike Bennett, CEO of Terra Industries Inc. “The U.S. ammonium nitrate industry continues to face many of the same challenges that led the Commission to vote last March to maintain the suspended investigation on Russian ammonium nitrate. We are pleased that the antidumping duty order on Ukrainian ammonium nitrate will remain in effect and continue to provide relief from unfairly priced imports of Ukrainian ammonium nitrate.”
The five-year review of the antidumping order was initiated by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the ITC on Aug. 1, 2006. The DOC conducted an expedited review and published its final results Dec. 6, 2006, finding that revocation of the order would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping at prices that are more than 150 percent below fair value (GM Jan. 1, p. 10). The ITC’s determination is the final step in the sunset review process.
As part of its full review, the ITC conducted an April 17 hearing in Washington, D.C., that brought together COFANT council and representatives, as well as economists from the Embassy of Ukraine (GM April 23, p. 1). COFANT members include Terra, which acquired Mississippi Chemical Corp. in December 2004, and El Dorado Chemical Co., a unit of LSB Industries Inc. Terra produces AN at Yazoo City, Miss., while El Dorado produces it at El Dorado, Ark.