Samsung, LG Dumped Refrigerators, US Says in Whirlpool Case
31.12.69
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- LG Electronics Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. dumped refrigerators at low cost, the U.S. Commerce Department said in a case brought by Whirlpool Corp. The agency set duties of as much as 36.65 percent.
Samsung of Suwon, South Korea, faces a tariff 36.65 percent for refrigerators produced in Mexico and 32.2 percent for those from South Korea based on the preliminary findings, the department said today in a statement. LG Electronics will pay 16.44 percent for products made in Mexico and 4.09 percent on South Korea units, the department said. Dumping refers to selling a product at a discount in a foreign market.
The decision “validates the legal actions we are taking to protect our 23,000 employees in the United States and the communities in which they work,” said Kristine Vernier, a spokeswoman for Whirlpool, the world’s largest appliance maker. “Maintaining jobs in the United States requires restoring fair competition through the strong enforcement of United States and international trade laws.”
Source: BusinessWeek
Here it is, the biggest refrigerator we've ever tested
31.12.69
There are about 180 models in Consumer Reports' current refrigerator Ratings . Since we started testing this appliance back in 1939, too many to count have come and gone. But it's safe to say that no model has been as mammoth as the new Kenmore Elite 7205 French-door bottom-freezer , with its claimed 31-cubic-foot capacity. Setting aside for a moment the question of whether so much space is necessary, let's take a closer look to see how Kenmore managed the feat.
The first space-saving innovation is in the walls of the Kenmore Elite 7205, where vacuum-insulated panels (VIPs) replace the conventional insulation found on most refrigerators. VIPs are thin and flat, which results in narrow walls and a roomier interior. That coupled with a slightly larger footprint (its 35-inch depth is a few inches above the norm) accounts for much of the expanded capacity.
Inside the refrigerator, the first thing you might notice is what's missing—no bulky icemaker taking up interior shelf or door space. Instead, the "Slim In-door Icemaker" fits neatly in the door panel holding the exterior ice and water dispensers. Then there's a bevy of expansive storage options, including door bins that are deep enough to hold a gallon container and then some, say a bottle of ketchup; a full-width pantry drawer for deli meats and cheese; dual crisper drawers; and a tilt-out freezer door that allows you to access the double pull-out drawers and deep bin without sliding out the entire freezer compartment. There's also multi-level LED lighting, which doesn't affect the actual dimensions, but does make the interior feel bigger and brighter.
Source: ConsumerReports.org