Whirlpool loses appliance 'dumping' case

April 17, 2012 BENTON HARBOR, Mich.—Whirlpool Corp. has lost the latest round in its battle with competitors over imports from South Korea and Mexico. The U.S. International Trade Commission found Tuesday that Whirlpool and other U.S. appliance makers were not harmed by competitors importing bottom-mount refrigerators from South Korea and Mexico. Whirlpool filed a complaint last year that alleged competitors such as Samsung Electronics Co., LG Electronics Inc. and other foreign companies were violating international trade laws and "dumping" their appliances in the U.S. by selling them at less than fair value. The company asked U.S. regulators to impose extra duties on its competitors for these actions. The U.S. Department of Commerce determined in March that the competitors were selling the products at less than fair value and issued a preliminary decision in Whirlpool's favor. That then went to the International Trade Commission for review, where the commissioners issued a unanimous decision against Whirlpool. Whirlpool said it is reviewing the decision and determining whether it will appeal to the U.S. Court of International Trade, part of the federal court system. Samsung and LG applauded the decision and criticized Whirlpool for launching a "baseless investigation" that was costly to U.S. taxpayers. Whirlpool, based in Benton Harbor, Mich., makes appliances under its namesake brand as well as Maytag and KitchenAid. Its shares fell $3.03, more than 4 percent, to close at $68... http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/04/17/whirlpool_loses_appliance_dumping_case/