The sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), has won a major case raised against it regarding the exports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to the US market. The case was related to the amount of government subsidies on PET produced by Salalah-based Octal. The investigation, which was undertaken by the US Department of Commerce, lasted for nearly one and half years, according to a press release issued by the MoCI on Tuesday. The US Department of Commerce issued its decision on 7 March after an extensive investigation into PET exports from Oman and certain other countries. The investigation showed that subsidy given by the Oman government to Octal does not harm the US industry. “After the investigations, they found out the subsidy rate is just 0.59 per cent, which is less than the minimum rate, according to the provisions of the applicable laws in the United States. (Muscat Daily)