ANSAC, the US soda ash joint venture export cooperative, announced recently it had learned that Brazil has decided to close an anti-dumping investigation concerning dense soda ash imports from the US. The decision was reportedly made on 16 March at a meeting of Brazil's Commercial Defense Council, which voted to terminate the proceeding without any action being taken against US exports to Brazil. The investigation was started in September 1996 at the request of Brazilian soda ash producer Companhia Nacional de Alcalis (CNA), which alleged that dense soda ash had been sold to Brazil in 1995 at prices below normal value. CNA, widely reported to be in severe financial difficulty, claimed these sales had caused it material injury and sought protective duties on US exports in excess of 40%.
