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Outboard Dumping Case Goes to the Judges

Last week the International Trade Commission (ITC) held its final hearing on the issue of outboard engine dumping, convening to hear testimony to determine whether Japanese manufacturers have harmed domestic outboard manufacturers by selling engines below market value in the United States. Mercury Marine and Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. argued their cases in front of the ITC, then again in prepared statements.
In its release, Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. President Phil Dyskow thanked industry executives who testified on behalf of Japanese outboard engine manufacturers – including Irwin Jacobs (Genmar), Bob Deputy (Godfrey), Kris Carroll (Grady-White), Joan Maxwell (Regulator) and Scott Deal (Maverick) – and said they had helped Yamaha make its case that Brunswick’s anti-dumping position was “a sham.”
“Their testimony added weight to Yamaha’s claim that Brunswick’s petition is simply a sham intended to divert attention from Brunswick’s efforts to dominate the marine industry through the use of cheap foreign labor,” Dyskow said. “It is absurd that, with all of its achievements, Brunswick is attempting to cry poverty and distress to the ITC. Yet with the help of the American marine industry’s testimony, it is our hope that we will have successfully refuted Brunswick’s claims of injury and put an end to this dumping case once and for all.”
Mercury thanked the boat builders and dealers who testified on its behalf – including Earl Bentz (Triton), Lee Kimmell (American Marine), Ed Renken (Sea Fox) and Reggie Fountain (Fountain Powerboats) – and quoted Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and Representative Tom Petri, who also attended the hearing and spoke in favor of the imposition of duties on Japanese outboards.
“The domestic outboard engine industry is threatened by the aggressive pricing strategies used by Japanese manufacturers who are looking to unfairly gain market share by dumping their products in the U.S. market,” Doyle told the ITC panel that will rule on whether Mercury has been injured by Japanese engine dumping.
Mercury President Patrick C. Mackey said the domestic outboard engine industry has lost significant market share to the Japanese since 2000 due to engine dumping practices. “Mercury Marine has an obligation to its shareholders, employees and customers not to sit back and allow itself to be damaged by such unfair competition,” he said.
The ITC is expected to reveal its findings in the case by early February. If it determines that Japanese pricing practices have damaged U.S. outboard companies, a duty to be determined by the Department of Commerce will be levied on all outboard engines imported into the U.S. from Japan.

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