Apogee Enterprises Applauds ITC Determination in Antidumping Investigation of Auto Replacement Glass From China

    MINNEAPOLIS--April 17, 2001--Apogee Enterprises, Inc. welcomed news of a unanimous affirmative determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that there is a reasonable indication of material injury to the domestic automotive replacement glass industry due to imports from the People's Republic of China. Apogee is a co-petitioner on behalf of its manufacturing subsidiary, Viracon/Curvlite, in the antidumping investigation of imported windshields from China.
    As a result of yesterday's decision, the government's investigation in the case moves forward at the Department of Commerce, which investigates whether the imports are being sold below fair value, or "dumped."
    "The Commission's decision confirms what Apogee and its co-petitioners PPG Industries, Inc. and Safelite Corporation were saying when we filed our petition on February 28 - there is evidence that imports of replacement windshields from China are causing harm to the domestic industry," said Patricia A. Beithon, Apogee's general counsel. "Prices in the market have been severely depressed because of the large influx in Chinese imports since 1998, and as a result, domestic producers such as our subsidiary have been under tremendous pressure. Some producers have exited the industry altogether and one major producer declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-2000. The conditions under which we were being forced to compete by the Chinese imports are simply untenable."
    "We are hopeful that this decision means that conditions of fair pricing soon will be restored to our market," said Beithon. "Apogee will continue to participate actively in this investigation and provide the government support to bring this case to a successful conclusion: namely, restoration of fair pricing in the U.S. market."
    The ITC's affirmative determination means the Department of Commerce will begin to collect information on whether imported automotive replacement glass from China is being sold at below fair value. The Department's preliminary findings are scheduled to be issued no later than August 7, 2001. If such findings are affirmative, importers then will be required to post a bond and, if the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, post cash deposits to offset the unfair trade practices. The final Commission determination is not likely until Spring 2002.

    Apogee Enterprises, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is a world leader in technologies involving the design and development of value-added glass products, services and systems. The company is organized in three segments:

--	Architectural products and services companies design, engineer, fabricate and install the walls of glass and windows comprising the outside skin of commercial and institutional buildings.
--	Large-scale optical technologies companies develop and produce high technology glass that enhances the visual performance of products for the display, imaging and picture framing industries.
--	Automotive replacement glass and services companies fabricate, repair and replace automobile windshields and windows. Businesses in this segment are: Harmon AutoGlass, the nation's second largest chain of retail auto glass replacement and repair stores; and Viracon/Curvlite, a leading U.S. fabricator of aftermarket foreign and domestic car windshields.