ITC Rules Against Press Exporters

WASHINGTON — The International Trade Commission ruled Wednesday that Japanese and German manufacturers violated trade laws when they sold large printing presses to U.S. publishers at below-market prices.

The 5-0 decision is a victory for Rockwell Graphics Systems Inc. of Westmont, Ill.--the only remaining manufacturer of large printing presses in the United States--which argued in a suit filed last year that the foreign presses were being dumped on the U.S. market.

The ruling means that printing press exporters in Japan and Germany must pay duties of as much as 63% when they sell equipment in the U.S. The Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration will send orders directing the U.S. Customs Service to impose the duties in one week, agency sources said.

The ITC ruling affirms a Feb. 27 determination by the Commerce Department’s trade office that two Japanese companies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho Ltd., and two German ventures had been selling printing presses at lower-than-market prices in violation of U.S. trade laws.

Washington Post Co. made the largest recent purchase of such presses in the United States, choosing Mitsubishi to supply eight presses as part of a $250-million modernization project. Those presses are expected to arrive early in 1997, Post executives said. The presses are likely to be subject to the new duties, but Mitsubishi’s U.S. affiliate, the Post, is the importer of record and would therefore pay the fees, Post executives said.

The Illinois congressional delegation had urged the commission to support Rockwell’s complaint, which was filed in June 1995.

“Rockwell made a strong case, and I’m pleased that the commission agreed,” Sen. Paul Simon (D-Ill.) said in a statement.

K.G. Katayama, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses USA Inc., called the ruling “very, very disappointing” and said the company is exploring appeal options. “I believe that we presented full information and data to support our position that there is no dumping or future injury,” he said.

The Commerce Department on July 15 determined that Mitsubishi’s duties should equal 63% of the import price of its presses or components. Actual duties would be subject to review one year after they are imposed, according to federal rules. A large commercial press typically costs tens of millions of dollars.