The decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose a 162% duty on silica textiles imported from China is being lauded by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin and the CEO of Auburn Manufacturing as a major victory.
“We hope to get our market back, and that will be enough,” Auburn Manufacturing CEO Kathie Leonard said at a press conference on Tuesday, according to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. “That means we’re on a level playing field. And I think that’s all we need at Auburn Manufacturing. That’s all Maine needs, that’s all the U.S. needs, is a level playing field.”
As reported by Mainebiz in July, Auburn Manufacturing is the largest maker of the industrial fabric in the United States and has 48 employees in Maine. Leonard said during Tuesday’s press conference that the company had lost 30% of its market share over the last three years and 20% of its workforce because of the illegal subsidies, according to MPBN.
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