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On Thursday, April 18, 2002, the Department of Commerce (“the Department”) announced its final determination in the antidumping duty investigation of folding metal tables and chairs from the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). We found that folding metal tables and chairs from the PRC are being sold at less than fair value.

Background: The Department initiated this investigation on May 17, 2001. On Monday, November 26, 2001, the Department announced its preliminary determination in this investigation, with margins ranging from 0% to 134.77% and 134.77% for the PRC-wide entity.

Petitioners: The petition was filed on behalf of the U.S. folding metal and chairs industry by Meco Corporation of Tennessee.

Product Description: For purposes of this investigation, the products covered are imports of assembled and unassembled folding tables and folding chairs, or in five piece sets consisting of four chairs and one table, made primarily or exclusively from steel or other metal, as further described in our notice in the Federal Register. Specifically excluded from the scope of folding metal tables are the following: lawn furniture, folding metal chairs with a wooden back and/or seat, stools, chairs with arms, trays commonly referred to as “tv trays,” side tables, child-sized tables and chairs, portable counter sets consisting of rectangular tables 36" high and matching stools; and banquet tables, as defined in the Federal Register notice.

The subject merchandise is currently classifiable under subheadings 9401710010, 9401710030, 9401790045, 9401790050, 9403200010 and 9403200030 of the HTSUS. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs Service purposes, the Department’s written description of the merchandise is dispositive.

Critical Circumstances: The Department determines that critical circumstances exist for imports of folding metal tables and chairs from the PRC-wide entity, but not for the companies with individual margins. In the preliminary determination the Department did not find that critical circumstances exist for either the PRC-wide entity or the companies with individual margins.

Antidumping Margins:

Company	Margin
Shin Crest Pte. Ltd.	00.00 %
Feili Furniture Development Co., Ltd. and Feili (“Fujian”) Co., Ltd.	23.48 %
Dongguan Shichang Metals Factory Co. Ltd.	23.48 %
New-Tec Integration Co., Ltd.	23.48 %
PRC-Wide	70.71 %

Case Calendar:

Event	Date
Petition Filed	April 27, 2001
Initiation	May 17, 2001
ITC Preliminary Determination	June 11, 2001
ITA Preliminary Determination	November 23, 2001
ITA Final Determination	April 17, 2001
ITC Final Determination*	May 31, 2002
Order, if final is affirmative**	June 10, 2002

* On or about this date.

** This will take place, on or about this date, only in the event of a final affirmative determination from the International Trade Commission.

Import Statistics: The HTS subheadings under which the subject merchandise is classified are broad “basket” categories. Therefore, no public information on volume and value is available.

Copies of the Antidumping Duty Final Determinations: The determination of this investigation can beaccessed directly on the Web at http://www.ia.ita.doc.gov/frn/index.html on the date that it is published in the Federal Register. The determination and all corresponding memoranda are available in our Central Records Unit, Room B-099, in the Main Commerce Building, 14^th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.