UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-96,601

EX-TECH PLASTICS, INC.
RICHMOND, ILLINOIS

Certification Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers

In accordance with Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (“Act”), 19 U.S.C.
§ 2273, the Department of Labor (“Department”) herein presents the results of an investigation
regarding certification of eligibility to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (“TAA”) for workers.
The investigation was initiated in response to a TAA petition dated November 6, 2020 and
filed on November 9, 2020 by a State Workforce Office, on behalf of former workers of Ex-Tech
Plastics, Inc., Richmond, Illinois (hereafter referred to as the “worker group”). In accordance with
20 C.F.R. 618.110 a worker group is defined as, “…inclusive of teleworkers and staffed workers.”
The worker group is engaged in activities related to the production of recycled and virgin
extruded plastic sheets and are not separately identifiable by product.
The petition alleged that worker separations, or threats thereof, were due to foreign
trade because, “the worker group is subject to injury based on notification from USDOL / ITC
Investigation 731 TA 1455 and 1457 involving Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Sheet from
Korea and Oman. This determination was published in the Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 176.
Similar petitions were filed for Pactiv LLC (96571) in Abilene, TX, Sonoco (96580) in Yakima,
WA, Nan Ya Plastics (96575) in Wharton, TX, and Plastic Ingenuity (96588) in Maumelle, AR.”
The International Trade Commission (ITC) found that an industry in the United States is
materially injured by reason(s) of imports of Polyethylene Terephthalate Sheet from Korea and
Oman. The ITC’s determination(s) was published in the Federal Register on September 10, 2020.
During the course of the investigation, the Department collected information from the
petitioner(s), the workers’ firm, and other relevant sources.
The group eligibility requirements for workers of a firm under Section 222(e) of the Act,
19 U.S.C. § 2272(e), are satisfied if the following criteria are met:
Member of Domestic Industry Criterion
(1) the workers’ firm is publicly identified by name by the International Trade Commission
as a member of a domestic industry in an investigation resulting in—
(A) an affirmative determination of serious injury or threat thereof under section 202(b)
(1);
(B) an affirmative determination of market disruption or threat thereof under section
421(b)(1); or
(C) an affirmative final determination of material injury or threat thereof under section
705(b)(1)(A) or 735(b)(1)(A) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671d(b)(1)(A) and
1673d(b)(1)(A));
The Department determines that the member of a domestic industry criterion has been met.

Timely Petition Filing Criterion
(2) the petition is filed during the 1-year period beginning on the date on which—
(A) a summary of the report submitted to the President by the International Trade
Commission under section 202(f)(1) with respect to the affirmative determination
described in paragraph (1)(A) is published in the Federal Register under section 202(f)
(3); or
(B) notice of an affirmative determination described in subparagraph (B) or (C) of
paragraph (1) is published in the Federal Register; and
The Department determines that the timely filing of a petition criterion has been met.
Employment Criterion
(3) the workers have become totally or partially separated from the workers’ firm within—
(A) the 1-year period described in paragraph (2); or
(B) notwithstanding section 223(b), the 1-year period preceding the 1-year period
described in paragraph (2).
The Department determines that the employment criterion has been met.
Conclusion
After careful review of the facts obtained in the investigation, I determine that workers of
Ex-Tech Plastics, Inc., Richmond, Illinois, who are engaged in activities related to the production
of recycled and virgin extruded plastic sheets meet the worker group certification criteria under
Section 222(e) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(e). In accordance with Section 223 of the Act, 19
U.S.C. § 2273, I make the following certification:
“All workers of Ex-Tech Plastics, Inc., Richmond, Illinois, who became totally or partially
separated from that employment on or after September 10, 2019, through September 10,
2021, are eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under Chapter 2 of Title II of the Trade
Act of 1974, as amended.”
Signed in Washington, D.C. this 18th day of December, 2020




______________________________
/s/ HOPE D. KINGLOCK
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance