Commerce recommends duties for welded steel pipe imports

The International Trade Commission is scheduled to make its final injury determinations in the investigations of heavy-walled rectangular-welded cargo steel pipes and tubes from South Korea, Mexico and Turkey Aug. 29.    The U.S. Commerce Department has made a final determination to impose antidumping duties on imports of heavy-walled rectangular-welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from South Korea, Mexico and Turkey, in addition to countervailing duties on similar imports from Turkey.
   Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than its fair value, while countervailable subsidies are financial assistance from foreign governments to domestic companies to boost their export performance.
   In its South Korea investigation, Commerce found dumping had occurred with DongA Steel Co. and HiSteel Co. Ltd. at margins of 2.34 percent and 3.82 percent, respectively. It calculated a final dumping margin of 3.24 percent for all other producers/exporters in South Korea.
   With its Mexico investigation, the department found dumping had occurred with Maquilacero S.A. de C.V. and Productos Laminados de Monterrey S.A. de C.V. at margins of 3.83 percent and 5.21 percent, respectively. Commerce calculated a final dumping margin of 4.91 percent for all other producers/exporters in Mexico.
   In its Turkey AD investigation, Commerce found dumping had occurred with MMZ Boru Profil Uretim Sanayi Ve Tic. A.S. (MMZ) at a margin of 35.66 percent. Additionally, Commerce determined that no dumping had occurred with Ozdemir Boru Profil San. Ve Tic. Ltd. Sti. (Ozdemir). “Because Commerce calculated a weighted-average dumping margin of zero for Ozdemir, it would be excluded from an [antidumping] order,” the department said. Commerce calculated a final dumping margin of 17.83 percent for all other producers/exporters in Turkey.
   In Commerce’s Turkey countervailing duty investigation, it calculated final subsidy rates of 23.37 percent and 15.08 percent for MMZ and Ozdemir, respectively, and a final subsidy rate of 19.06 percent for all other Turkish producers/exporters. 
   The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its final injury determinations in these import investigations Aug. 29. If the ITC makes affirmative final determinations that these imports from South Korea, Mexico, and/or Turkey harm domestic industry, then Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders. If the ITC makes negative determinations of injury, the investigations will end.
   The petitioners for these investigations include Atlas Tube, a division of JMC Steel Group, and Independence Tube Corp. in Illinois; Bull Moose Tube Co. and EXLTUBE of Missouri; Hannibal Industries, Maruichi American Corp., Searing Industries, and Vest in California; and Southland Tube of Alabama.
   According to Commerce, in 2014, imports of heavy-walled rectangular-welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from South Korea, Mexico and Turkey were valued at $50.5 million, $53.7 million and $41.9 million, respectively.