AUBURN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — The Department of Commerce has recently backed claims by a Maine manufacturing company that two Chinese companies are importing textiles, illegally undercutting companies in the U.S.
Auburn Manufacturing, Inc. makes fireproof fabrics found in welding curtains and firefighter gear. Founder Kathie Leonard says China has been illegally subsidizing two companies, who have been able to import to the U.S. for a much lower price.
Leonard filed a petition at the start of the year and has since gotten support from Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Bruce Poliquin and Chellie Pingree.
Poliquin stood with Leonard Tuesday morning during a press conference at AMI to explain where the investigation is now.
That support has led to an antidumping duty investigation through Commerce, which has instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from the two companies - duties to make up for their illegal dumping.
"Department of Commerce will get the extra duty as these products come in, but it doesn't flow back to us," said Leonard. "What we do get - I don't want to make it sound like poor us - we hopefully get our market back."
Final determinations on those investigations won't be until January. The U.S. Government has to determine not only that dumping is happening, but also that companies like AMI have suffered injury from it.