The US Commerce Department on Tuesday denied a request by Belarus to withdraw Washington's determination that the country is a non-market economy (NME), which would affect how dumping cases are handled. Dumping is when a country prices its exports below what it would charge for the same product in its home market, and Minsk had hoped the United States would make it harder to launch antidumping cases against it by removing the NME designation. "The Government of Belarus made this request in the context of changed circumstances reviews of the US antidumping orders on imports of steel concrete reinforcing bars and alloy steel wire rod," the Commerce Department said. "As a result of today's determination, Commerce will continue to treat Belarus as an NME for purposes of calculating dumping margins in Commerce's antidumping cases." Washington considers 11 countries NMEs, most of which are former Soviet republics but also include China and Vietnam. Belarus has seen massive protests in recent month following August elections in which strongman Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory, while the opposition insists their candidate won. cs/dw