UPDATE: U.S. Department Of Commerce Issues Preliminary Subsidy Determination Against Clothes Washers From South Korea

Today, the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) issued a preliminary determination against the South Korean government related to subsidies that violate U.S. and international trade laws. The investigation was launched earlier this year in response to a petition filed by Whirlpool Corporation

to protect its 23,000 U.S. employees, the communities in which they work, and U.S. consumers. The inquiry focuses on unlawful subsidies provided by the South Korean government to South Korean clothes washer producers that sell products in the United States. "Whirlpool Corporation is pleased with this favorable preliminary decision, given the proven record that South Korean appliance producers have benefitted from their government's subsidies that violate trade law," said spokesperson Kristine Vernier. "We look forward to participating fully in the thorough investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and we are optimistic that the final determination will further validate that these subsidies undermine competition and cause material harm to the U.S. appliance industry."