The DOC finding is the result of two administrative reviews of a 1992 anti-dumping order. Ta Chen Stainless Pipe Co. and its wholly owned subsidiary Ta Chen International requested those reviews.

DOC determined that Ta Chen's reported U.S. sales to San Shing Hardware and Sun Stainless were not appropriate in calculating dumping margins for Ta Chen, because Ta Chen controlled both companies.

According to a statement from Ta Chen attorney Peter Koenig, the company believes that the dumping finding is unlawful, and the company will appeal it to the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York.

"The court has already consistently found similar-type findings unlawful on a number of occasions," Koenig said. "DOC has sought to impose a dumping finding that the Department itself verified as wrong.

"Further, the Department has sought to retroactively change the dumping law and then penalize for an alleged failure to comply in that prior time period."

The finding and the margin have had no impact on Ta Chen's ongoing operations, said Bill Bootz, vice president of Ta Chen.

"Ta Chen-manufactured products are only about 15% of all of our sales," he explained.

The company is expanding rapidly, with more than 415,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space either recently added or being planned in the East and Midwest, Bootz said.