Whirlpool wins anti-dumping trade ruling

CLYDE- The U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a preliminary anti-dumping ruling that confirmed Whirlpool Corporation's allegations that Samsung and LG are engaging in ongoing unlawful dumping of clothes washers into the United States.

The company's largest American factory is in Clyde, where Whirlpool employs more than 3,000 people.

As a result of Friday's ruling, Samsung and LG will be required to pay cash deposits on clothes washers imported into the United States from their production facilities in China. The department also decided to apply Samsung's dumping rate retroactively 90 days to remedy its recent efforts to stockpile washers and undermine the effectiveness of the ruling.

"Today's ruling is an important step forward in an effort to stop serial dumping practices by Samsung and LG and uphold free and fair trade practices," said Marc Bitzer, president and chief operating officer for Whirlpool Corp. "At Whirlpool, we know that open, rules-based trade ensures the highest level of innovation and choice for consumers."

According to a company news release, Whirlpool Corp. filed the petition in December 2015.

In 2013, the U.S. government also found that Samsung and LG were dumping large residential clothes washers exported to the United States from their production facilities in South Korea and Mexico. Following that ruling, Samsung and LG moved their washer production for the United States to China, allegedly skirting the order and continuing to dump into the United States.

U.S. Sen.  Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the ruling confirms that South Korean manufacturers are engaging in unlawful dumping of clothes washers into the United States.

“Ohio manufacturers are too often faced with foreign competitors who cheat on trade. That’s why I authored the Leveling the Playing Field Act, which has already helped us win similar cases. For years, Whirlpool has been hurt by unfair practices from their overseas competitors, who continue to look for ways to cheat, including by moving their production facilities to China. This preliminary ruling is a step in the right direction to protect Whirlpool and its 10,000 Ohio workers," Portman said in a prepared statement.

Whirlpool has four Ohio plants — Clyde, Marion, Ottawa and Findlay — which all make different appliances under the brand name.

Clyde makes and distributes washers, while Marion handles production of dryers. Dishwashers are made in Findlay, freezers in Ottawa, Ohio, and range ovens are produced in Tulsa, Oklahoma.