Whirlpool wins tariffs on residential washers

7/31/2012

WASHINGTON -- The United States set tariffs as high as 82 percent on large, residential washers from South Korea and 72 percent on the products from Mexico, concluding the items are sold below production costs to drive out American competitors.

The Commerce Department in a preliminary finding Monday responded to Whirlpool Corp.’s complaint that LG Electronics and Daewoo Electronics, both based in Seoul, and Samsung Electronics of Suwon, South Korea, use unfair trade practices. Laundry appliances accounted for 30 percent of Whirlpool’s 2011 revenue of $18.7 billion, according to its annual report.

A final decision will be issued in December, the agency said.