Antidumping tariffs set on optical fiber

BEIJING - The Ministry of Commerce announced Wednesday it will impose temporary antidumping tariffs on optical fiber imported from the United States and European Union, a move that will help provide a level playing field for the domestic industry, analysts said.

The preliminary ruling required importers of dispersion unshifted single-mode optical fiber, used mainly in high-speed and long-distance telecom transmission, to place a deposit starting on Feb 18, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website.

"Thanks to dumping from abroad, the price of optical fiber has dropped by about 90 percent in the past decade, pushing many domestic companies to the brink of bankruptcy," said Mao Qian, a senior consultant with FiberHome Technologies, a major product and solution provider for information and telecommunication in China.