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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, March 17, 2007

Maui Land & Pineapple wins in tariff review

Associated Press

Maui Pineapple's warehouse in Kahului stores its canned fruit. Owner Maui Land & Pineapple Co. supports the U.S. tariffs on imports of Thai canned pineapple, which have not been lifted.

ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | February 2002

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The Maui Pineapple brand could have faced unfair dumping competition from Thai producers if import tariffs were lifted, the trade commission was told.

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The U.S. International Trade Commission voted to keep duties charged on canned pineapple from Thailand in a victory for one of the state's largest agricultural companies, Maui Land & Pineapple Co.

The commission on Thursday said it will keep tariffs between 25 percent and 51 percent on canned versions of the fruit from Thailand.

The trade commission found that lifting the tariffs could result in dumping of canned pineapple from Thailand in the U.S. The trade commission made its decision as part of a five-year review of tariffs to determine if maintaining them is warranted.

The duties were first imposed in 1995 after the ITC found that several Thai exporters were dumping canned pineapple in the United States. Dumping refers to selling goods at below the exporters' cost of production, which is illegal under U.S. trade laws.

The commission received briefs from several Thailand-based companies arguing for reducing or eliminating the duties, while Maui Land & Pineapple said the producers didn't rebut Commerce Department findings that there could be dumping if the tariffs were revoked.

Kahului-based Maui Land & Pineapple produces fresh and canned pineapple through a subsidiary called Maui Pineapple Co. The company earlier this week named Gerry Watts general manager of Maui Pineapple Co.