Whirlpool files safeguard petition to stop Samsung, LG

A safeguard action provides an effective remedy for serious injury to U.S. manufacturers of large residential washers caused by surging imports. The U.S. Government has twice found these imports were unlawfully dumped by Samsung and LG. The latest filing follows antidumping cases against Samsung and LG in which the U.S. Government determined that these companies injured U.S. washer manufacturers by selling imported washing machines in the United States at illegally dumped prices. Samsung and LG, according to a Whirlpool press release, responded to these prior rulings by relocating their production facilities to other foreign countries in order to circumvent the U.S. Government's rulings. In 2013, the U.S. Government found that Samsung and LG were unlawfully dumping South Korean and Mexican washers into the United States. The two companies moved washer production to China. In early 2017, the U.S. Government issued a new antidumping order against Samsung and LG concerning China. Samsung and LG - Whirlpool asserts - moved their washer production to factories in Vietnam and Thailand. "This filing addresses unprecedented behavior by two serial violators of U.S. trade laws," said Jeff M. Fettig, chairman and chief executive officer of Whirlpool Corp. "If not for this unlawful behavior, we believe our washer category would have thrived like the rest of our North American business. Whirlpool, along with our Clyde employees, is taking this action because U.S. manufacturers and workers need comprehensive trade relief that Samsung and LG cannot circumvent. The safeguard petition allows for the effective application and enforcement of trade rules that are critical to maintaining jobs and supporting free and fair competition in the United States."