US launched anti-dumping sunset review on electrolytic manganese dioxide from China

The US Department of Commerce on December 2 announced that it has launched the second anti-dumping sunset review investigation on electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) from China. At the same time, the country’s International Trade Commission would conduct a review to determine whether revocation of the AD duty order on EMD from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury. US AD duty was first imposed on imports of EMD from China for five years in October 2008, and was extended for another five years in January 2015. The AD order in October 2008 also targeted EMD from Australia, but was revoked in December 2014. The determination of this round of sunset review is set to have significant impact on China’s EMD market, which has been on the decline since the second half of this year, as the US is a major buyer of Chinese EMD. EMD is an intermediate product used in the production of dry-cell batteries and is sold as a powder, chip and plate in three grades: alkaline, lithium, and zinc-chloride.