June 16, 2004 – Memory firm Elpida Memory Inc. and the Japanese business of Micron Technology Inc. have petitioned the Japanese government to impose countervailing duties on imports of DRAM chips from Hynix, according to news reports.
The South Korean firm has long been accused of receiving government subsidies, a concern that led the US and European Union to impose similar duties last year of 45% and 35%, respectively.
The Japanese Ministry of Finance, along with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, could take up to two months to consider the chipmakers’ request, and possibly another year for an investigation, according to Reuters and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Elpida, the joint venture between Hitachi and NEC, currently ranks sixth in the DRAM market with 4.3% share; Hynix is fourth with 14.7%.