WASHINGTON - December 14, 2004 - The International Trade Commission began its final hearing on the issue of outboard engine dumping this morning, convening to hear testimony to determine whether Japanese manufacturers have harmed domestic outboard manufacturers by dumping engines in the U.S. market.
Many of the marine industry's top executives were scheduled to testify at the hearing, although most probably won't get the opportunity due to time constraints imposed by ITC rules.
A witness list of those scheduled to speak in favor of the imposition of antidumping duties in the case - found on the ITC Web site - included:
- Patrick Mackey, president, Mercury
- Dennis Sheller, vice president, Marine Strategy, Mercury
- Rick Davis, vice president, Engine Development; and chief technology officer, Mercury
- Gene Herman, president, Local 1947, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
- Earl Bentz, president, Triton Boat Co.
- Lee Kimmell, chairman and CEO, American Marine Holdings
- Reggie Fountain, chairman and CEO, Fountain Powerboats
- Ed Renken, executive vice president, Sea Fox Boats
- Rick Grover, owner, Angler's Marine
- Jeff Miller, president and general manager, Millers Boating Center
- Andy Wolf, owner, M-W Marine
- Ron Wilson, owner, Wilson Marine.
- Philip Dyskow, president, Marine Group, Yamaha
- Benjamin Speciale, general manager, Operations and Planning, Marine Group, Yamaha
- Irwin Jacobs, chairman, Genmar Holdings
- Kris Carroll, president, Grady White
- Joan Maxwell, president, Regulator Marine
- Scott Deal, president, Maverick
- Robert Deputy, president, Godfrey Marine
- Larry Vandiver, Marine Marketing director, Suzuki
- Larry Carpenter, president, Master Marine Services, Inc.
- Katrina Coghill, president, Pearson's Marina
- Jim Morgenthaler, general manager, Tohatsu
- Wade Terry, vice president, Power Equipment Division, Honda
- John Fulcher, senior manager, Marine Group, Honda
- Tony Zielinski, president, American Marina.
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a preliminary determination of "dumping" by Japanese outboard engine manufacturers in early August, and ordered a 22.52-percent import bond be posted for each Japanese engine brought into the U.S.
Although the DOC has determined that dumping took place, Mercury Marine - which initiated the dumping investigation in January by filing a complaint against Japanese engine manufacturers - must now prove to the ITC that it has been harmed by those practices.
Today's hearing will help the six-member ITC panel decide if that harm has taken place and if duties should then be imposed on Japanese outboard engines sold in the United States. That decision is not expected until February.