Washington, Sep 21, 2005 - WNC Representative Charles H. Taylor today announced that the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that an anti-dumping order against China will remain in place with regards to apple juice concentrate. The action was taken on Monday September 19, 2005 in a unanimous decision. This latest antidumping order will last for the next five years.

The Chinese government was dumping such massive quantities of apple juice concentrate at below-market prices that domestic apple farmers, including those in WNC, could not compete. This dumping was in clear violation of our international trade agreements with China. Representative Taylor first brought the issue of Chinese apple juice concentrate dumping to the attention of the U.S. Secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture, as well as the U.S. Trade Representative, in October of 1998. These efforts ultimately led to the anti-dumping measures against Chinese apple juice concentrate, which the ITC has just renewed. A more competitive playing field is assured through the assessment of "countervailing duties." These duties force Chinese companies to bring the cost of their juice concentrate up to the level of American-produced juice, encouraging U.S. juice producers to use more raw apples from farmers like those in WNC.

“I am very pleased by the action taken by the International Trade Commission,” Rep. Taylor commented. “I contacted the ITC last week to express my support for keeping in place these anti-dumping protections. The ITC obviously saw the merits in keeping the anti-dumping measures in place. Without such a ruling, our apple growers in WNC would not be able to compete in a global market flooded with inferior Chinese agricultural products.”