Working the System: Firm Learning and the Antidumping Process

Abstract

This paper takes the first systematic look at how prior experience by US firms in filing US AD petitions affects future AD filing activity and outcomes. Such prior experience may affect both the cost of filing petitions, as well as the likelihood of successful outcomes and dumping margin magnitudes. Statistical analysis of data on US AD cases finds that prior AD experience leads to greater filing activity and likelihood of affirmative decisions or suspension agreements, but significantly lower dumping margins. The latter result suggests that experience does not affect dumping margins as much as it lowers filing costs, leading to petitioning of weaker cases.