U.S. gov't dismisses Whirlpool's accusation against S. Korean rivals

By Lee Chi-dong
WASHINGTON, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) -- In a ruling in favor of South Korea's major refrigerator makers, the U.S. Department of Commerce said Tuesday Whirlpool's charges that they had received huge government subsidies are groundless.
In March, the Michigan-based manufacturer filed a petition with the department against its three South Korean competitors -- LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics and Daewoo Electronics, claiming they took big subsidies and should face countervailing duties.
The department, however, announced a "negative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty investigation" of imports of their refrigerators with a freezer located underneath the refrigeration compartment.
"As a result of this preliminary determination, Commerce will not instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect a cash deposit or bond based on these preliminary rates," it said in a press release.
It added the final ruling is due in January.
But Whirlpool has filed a separate "anti-dumping" case against the South Korean firms, with the department's preliminary determination slated for Oct. 27.
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