Commerce Department Makes Antidumping Determination on Line Pipe From China

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) yesterday announced its affirmative final determination in the antidumping duty investigation on imports of circular welded carbon quality steel line pipe from the People’s Republic of China. Welded line pipe is used for the transmission of gas or oil, generally in pipeline systems.

Mandatory respondent, Huludao Steel Pipe Industrial Co., Ltd., received a final dumping rate of 73.87 percent. Three Chinese exporters received a separate rate of 73.87 percent. All other Chinese producers/exporters of welded line pipe received the China-wide rate of 101.10 percent, including Chinese mandatory respondent, Shanghai Metals & Minerals Import & Export Corp., as this company withdrew from the investigation.

As a result of this final determination, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect a cash deposit or bond based on the final rates.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to issue its final injury determination on or about May 7. If the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination that imports of welded line pipe from China materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry, Commerce will issue an antidumping order.

The petitioners in this antidumping investigation are Maverick Tube Corporation, United States Steel Corporation, Tex-Tube Company, and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO-CLC.

Expect to see a number of antidumping petitions to be filed in the U.S. in the coming months on additional steel products from China and other countries.