Commerce finds subsidies for steel pipe from Pakistan

The U.S. Commerce Department has found evidence of countervailable subsidies to support Pakistani exports of circular welded steel pipe to the United States.    The U.S. Commerce Department has found evidence of countervailable subsidies to support Pakistani exports of circular welded steel pipe to the United States. 
   A countervailable subsidy is financial assistance from foreign governments that benefits the production of goods from foreign companies and is limited to specific enterprises or industries, or is contingent either upon export performance or the use of domestic goods over imported goods.
   Based on its investigation, Commerce calculated a preliminary subsidy rate of 64.81 percent for the mandatory respondent, International Industries Ltd, while all other exporters/producers in Pakistan have also been assigned a preliminary subsidy rate of 64.81 percent.
   As a result of this determination, Commerce will instruct Customs and Border Protection to require cash deposits based on these preliminary rates.
   The petitioners in this investigation are Bull Moose Tube Co. of Missouri, Wheatland Tube in Illinois, and Western Tube & Conduit of California.
   Commerce said in 2014, imports of circular welded carbon-quality steel pipe from Pakistan were valued at about $17 million.
   Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determination in this investigation on Aug. 16, unless the statutory deadline is extended. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination, and the U.S. International Trade Commission makes an affirmative final determination that imports of circular welded steel pipe from Pakistan harm the domestic industry, Commerce will issue a countervailing duty order. If either Commerce or the ITC’s final determination is negative, no countervailing duty order will be issued.