China will increase and extend for five years its anti-dumping duties on imports of U.S. chicken products. China's Ministry of Commerce says the duties will now be raised to a range of 50.3% to 105.4%. In February China set its anti-dumping duties at 43.1%. The ministry says the U.S. chicken industry has dumped broiler products into the Chinese market and caused substantial damage to the domestic industry.
The USA Poultry & Egg Export Council says this new announcement imposes specific anti-dumping duty rates for three poultry processors whose exports to China were reviewed during in an investigation: Pilgrim's Pride, 53.4%; Keystone Foods, 50.3%; and Tyson Foods, 50.3%. The final duty-rate for the 32 other poultry processors who export to China and registered in the investigation will be 51.8%. The "all-others" rate for any poultry processors that did not register will be 105.4%.
Richard Lobb of the National Chicken Council told Meatingplace that overall, this is not a new burden on trade. These duties are in addition to countervailing duties ranging from 4% to 30% to offset what China sees as U.S. poultry industry subsidies, including crop insurance and the economic stimulus package.