Petition Filing Comes After Sappi Fine Paper Closes Muskegon Plant, Other Michigan Facilities at Risk

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today urged the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to initiate an investigation as soon as possible regarding the filing of antidumping and countervailing duty petitions against certain paper imports from China and Indonesia. The petitions were filed by the United Steelworkers, Sappi Fine Paper North America, NewPage Corporation, and Appleton Coated LLC. Sappi Fine Paper North America announced the closure of its Muskegon plant in August. NewPage has a mill in Escanaba and is a major employer in the area. The petitioners state that 60,000 paper jobs have been lost since 2002 and 6,000 are at risk in the plants making the products covered by the case.

“This is yet another example of how unfair trade policies are forcing our manufacturers to close their doors and costing us good-paying American jobs,” said Stabenow. “Just this year, Sappi Fine Paper was forced to close its plant in Muskegon and eliminate 190 jobs. NewPage Corporation’s Escanaba paper mill is also put at a competitive disadvantage, threatening the local economy. Our businesses and workers can successfully compete with anyone if other countries play by the rules all WTO members must follow. I urge the U.S. Department of Commerce and the ITC to initiate an investigation as soon as possible.”

The paper products covered by the petitions include coated paper used in high-quality writing, printing, and other graphic applications using sheet-fed presses. According to the petitions, total imports of covered coated paper have jumped nearly 40 percent. Specifically, imports increased from 131,687 short tons in the first six months of 2008 to 185,422 short tons in the first six months of 2009.

During the same time, covered coated paper exports by U.S. manufacturers are estimated to have declined by approximately 38 percent. China and Indonesia are believed to account for nearly 30 percent of the U.S. market for the coated paper covered by the petitions in the first six months of this year, almost double the share during the same period in 2008.

Now that the petition has been filed, they will now have 45 days to issue a preliminary determination.