Commerce starts AD/CVD investigations on Chinese cast iron soil pipe

Commerce announced the investigations two days after issuing a preliminary affirmative determination in its antidumping investigation into imports of pipe fittings from China.    The Commerce Department is starting antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of cast iron soil pipe from China, Commerce announced on Feb. 16.
   The Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute (CISPI) petitioned for duties on Jan. 26.
   The petitioner alleged a 93.32 percent dumping margin, as well as 32 subsidy programs, including five preferential loan and interest rate programs, three debt-to-equity swaps, “equity infusions,” loan forgiveness programs, six income tax and other direct subsidy programs, three indirect tax programs, and eight grant programs, Commerce said.
   If Commerce makes affirmative findings in the investigations, the International Trade Commission (ITC) will vote on whether dumped and/or subsidized imports are injuring U.S. industry.
   If the ITC finds injury, Commerce will impose AD and/or CV duties on imports “in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidization found to exist,” Commerce said.
   The ITC is set to issue preliminary injury determinations by March 12. If the ITC preliminary determines injury or threat of injury, Commerce will continue its investigations, with a preliminary CV duty determination due April 23, and preliminary AD duty determination due July 5, “unless those deadlines are extended,” Commerce said.
   If Commerce preliminarily determines dumping and/or unfair subsidization, it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from all U.S. companies importing cast iron soil pipe from China, Commerce said.
   Commerce’s final determination due dates are July 5 in the CV duty case, and Sept. 18 in the AD duty case, but those dates may be extended.
   If Commerce finds no dumping or unfair subsidization, or if the ITC final determinations report no injury to U.S. industry was found, the investigations will be terminated and no duties will be applied.

Preliminary AD determination on pipe fittings. Commerce announced the initiation of the AD/CV duty investigations two days after announcing an affirmative preliminary determination in its AD duty investigation into imports from China of the fittings that attach to cast iron soil pipe.
   In that investigation, Commerce preliminarily determined Chinese exporters have sold cast iron soil pipe fittings in the U.S. at 68.37-109.95 percent less than fair value, according to a Commerce press release.
   Commerce will instruct CBP to collect cash deposits from importers of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China based on these preliminary rates.
   CISPI petitioned for those duties, too.
   Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determination in the investigation by June 28.
   If Commerce affirms its preliminary findings in its final determination and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue an AD duty order. If Commerce makes a negative final determination or the ITC makes a negative final injury determination, the investigation will terminate and no AD duties will be collected.