The National Cotton Council vows to fight the findings of an anti-dumping investigation by the Turkish government that claims U.S. cotton was dumped into Turkey, injuring the domestic fiber market. The Council is challenging a three percent duty that’s being imposed on all U.S. cotton fiber imports into Turkey, effective immediately. Turkey is the second-largest export market for U.S. cotton with shipments ranging between 1.5 and 2.0 million bales. The duties, according to the Council, automatically put U.S. cotton at a competitive disadvantage to cotton produced in other countries. NCC Chairman Shane Stephens said the investigation, which was initiated in October 2014, was clearly in response to several U.S. trade investigations of Turkish steel imports. The Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Union says the cost of the duty, however, will be shouldered by the fiber industry in Turkey, because U.S. cotton has specialty use and is “not something it could give up.”