Today, Congressman Mike Turner announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a decision favorable to the U.S. candle industry. Specifically, the Department ruled that all petroleum-wax candles from China, except birthday, utility and figurine candles are subject to the antidumping duty. This ruling follows a bipartisan letter lead by Congressman Turner to the Secretary of Commerce in support of the U.S. candle producers. Since August of 1986, the U.S. has imposed duties on imports of certain candles from China to protect U.S. producers against unfair trade practices engaged in by Chinese producers.
“The Department of Commerce has taken an important step to protect American candle manufacturers and their employees. China’s unfair trade practices have persisted in a number of areas and this ruling seeks to correct those disparities in the candle industry. Today, the Commerce Department has made an appropriate ruling to protect candle manufacturing jobs in Ohio,” said Turner.
In August 2010, in response to overly burdensome requests from two Chinese importers, the Department of Commerce proposed limiting the scope of the order, which defines which candles are subject to the duty, to a limited number of candle shapes. The National Candle Association, including Ohio-based company Candle-Lite, were concerned that such a ruling by the Department of Commerce would allow Chinese candle producers increased access to the U.S. market, which would have allowed them to continue to engage in the unfair trade practices that were damaging the U.S. industry.
“With an 8.8% unemployment in Ohio, actions like this are crucial to keeping Ohioans at work. Our government should be taking more steps like this to protect American jobs from unscrupulous trade practices by overseas competitors,” added Turner.