The U.S. Department of Commerce has determined that some producers and exporters of ferrosilicon from Malaysia receive government subsidies, which are illegal under U.S. trade law. The investigation looked at the period from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, and involved verifying information from Malaysian companies. Although critical circumstances were found for most producers, they were not found for two major companies, OM Materials and Pertama. If the U.S. International Trade Commission finds that U.S. industries are harmed by these imports, a countervailing duty order will be issued to impose duties on the subsidized products.
Simple Explanation
The U.S. says some companies in Malaysia got special help from their government to make a metal called ferrosilicon cheaper, which is against fair trade rules. If this hurts American companies, the U.S. might add extra charges to these imports to make it fair again.