Whirlpool Corporation ramped up the battle of international trade this week when Chairman & CEO Jeff Fettig called for a “global safeguard” against appliance dumping practices employed by South Korean competitors Samsung and LG Electronics who have repeatedly flooded the American marketplace with cheap machines.
Appearing yesterday before the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, DC, Fettig said, “A global safeguard is absolutely critical because it is the only tool available under U.S. trade law that can remedy the impact of Samsung and LG’s evasive ‘country hopping’ behavior.”
Fettig was in the nation’s capitol to testify in the ongoing battle, contending, “Without safeguard relief, it is hard to see how we maintain our competitiveness in the face of a continued onslaught of low-priced imports.”
Fetting argues that both Samsung and LG have made a chess match out of moving major manufacturing operations to five different countries in their bid to escape duties imposed by the U.S. on washing machines and avoid the label of dumping.
You may recall that back in January the International Trade Commission found that Whirlpool and other U.S. producers like GE Appliances had been harmed by the dumping practices coming from China. It was a unanimous vote by the ITC and essentially locked duties as much as nearly 53-percent for up to five years.
An executive from GE Appliances also testified in DC yesterday about the impact on that company’s American product lines.
Fettig’s argument was countered at the ITC hearing Thursday by Tim Baxter who serves as Chief Executive of North American operations for Samsung Electronics who told the commission, “We categorically reject Whirlpool’s assertions,” adding, “We have invested, we have competed fairly, and the consumers continue to vote with their wallet.”
