Rockwell’s Charges of Dumping Presses Upheld

Rockwell International Corp. said Monday its anti-dumping allegations against several foreign manufacturers of heavy newspaper printing presses have been upheld in a preliminary ruling by the U.S. Commerce Department.

So-called dumping duties, or extra import fees, ranging from 17.7% to 58.2% of the manufacturers’ retail prices, will be levied on newspaper presses exported to the United States by two Japanese and two German press makers.

Rockwell, which is negotiating to sell its press-making unit, said the duties are effective immediately, but are subject to review. Under federal trade law, the Commerce Department will issue a final determination by July 10. The International Trade Commission will then issue a final injury determination.

Rockwell’s Graphic Systems Division asked the government last June to investigate what it termed the unfair pricing of presses produced by the Japanese and German manufacturers. Rockwell Graphic Systems, based in Westmont, Ill., had sales of $700 million in fiscal 1995. It employs 2,900 people worldwide and has U.S. manufacturing operations in Westmont; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Reading, Pa.

A Rockwell spokesman at company headquarters in Seal Beach said the dumping issue has no impact on the pending sale of the Graphic Systems unit.