US ITC Finds Against Brazilian Orange Juice

WASHINGTON - Mar 4/05 - SNS -- The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has come to the conclusion there is a "reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of certain orange juice from Brazil that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value."

In reaching the decision, Chairman Stephen Koplan and Commissioners Marcia E. Miller and Charlotte R. Lane voted in the affirmative. Vice Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun and Commissioners Jennifer A. Hillman and Daniel R. Pearson found two like products in this investigation -- frozen concentrated orange juice for manufacturing ("FCOJM") and not-from-concentrate orange juice ("NFCOJ"). They voted in the affirmative with respect to FCOJM and in the negative with respect to NFCOJ.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determination, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its antidumping investigation of imports of certain orange juice from Brazil, with its preliminary determination due on or about June 6, 2005.

The Commission's public report Certain Orange Juice from Brazil (Investigation No. 731-TA- 1089 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 3757, March 2005) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

For purposes of this investigation, the product covered is FCOJM and NFCOJ. FCOJM is concentrated orange juice of 51 degrees or greater Brix in a frozen state, and most often is at a concentration level of 65 degrees Brix. It may be stored or transported at temperatures of 20 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

NFCOJ is single strength orange juice that is flash-heated to pasteurize it right after it has been extracted from fresh oranges. Unlike FCOJM, water is never removed from the NFCOJ to concentrate it. NFCOJ may be frozen into blocks or chilled into bulk aseptic tanks.