Argentina has requested negotiations with the United States on a “suspension” agreement that would avoid imposition of stiff U.S. anti-dumping duties on its biodiesel exports, said the Commerce Department. The negotiations were announced at the same time the department ordered anti-dumping duties of up to 70 percent on the fuel.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the administration “is committed to both free and fair trade and will defend American workers against unfair trade practices. Still, we are grateful to the government of Argentina for their proactive approach to solving this issue and remain optimistic that a negotiated solution can be reached both with Argentina and Indonesia.”
Other suspension agreements have limited import volumes and set a floor price for imported goods.
The anti-dumping duties on biodiesel were the result of a preliminary determination by the Commerce Department of complaints filed by the U.S. biodiesel industry, with a final determination expected in the new year. Anti-dumping duties of 54.36 percent to 70.05 percent were announced for Argentina, and duties of 50.71 percent for Indonesia. Some $1.2 billion of Argentine biodiesel and $268 million of Indonesian biodiesel were imported in 2016.
The imports compete with domestically produced biodiesel. Nearly one-third of U.S. soybean oil is used for biodiesel.