WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday it has set final duties of up to 300 percent on refrigerator magnets from China to offset unfair pricing and government subsidies.

The department also set final duties ranging from 31 percent to 38 percent on refrigerator magnets from Taiwan.

“Companies from China and Taiwan are unfairly pricing and selling refrigerator magnets in the United States,” Assistant Commerce Secretary David Spooner said in a statement. “That unfair competition is further magnified by government subsidies that Chinese exporters receive.”

The decision is a victory for Magnum Magnetics Corp., a Marietta, Ohio, company that asked for duties last year on imports from the two Asian suppliers.

The case is one of several that U.S. manufacturers in businesses ranging from steel pipe to off-road tires have brought against their Chinese competitors over the past year.

The U.S. International Trade Commission still has the power to strike down the duties if it decides the imports have not materially harmed Magnum. It will vote on that in August.

The Commerce Department said it set a 109.85 percent countervailing duty on all refrigerator magnets from China to offset government subsidies.

It set an additional antidumping duty of 105 percent on Guangzhou Newlife Magnet Electricity Co. and 185.28 percent on all other Chinese suppliers to stop them from selling at below normal prices in the United States.

It set an antidumping duty of 38.03 percent on three Taiwanese companies – Kin Fong Magnets Co., Magruba Flexible Magnets Co. and JASDI Magnet Co. – and 31.20 percent on all other Taiwanese suppliers.

(Editing by Eric Beech)