Commerce starts dumping investigation of steel flanges

The Commerce Department has initiated new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into U.S. imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India.    The Commerce Department has initiated new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into U.S. imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India, the department said in a statement.
   Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair value, while a countervailable subsidy is given by a foreign government to a company to encourage exports or use of domestic materials over imports.
   The investigations were requested on Aug. 16 by the Coalition of American Flange Producers, whose members include Core Pipe Products of Carol Stream, Ill.; and Maass Flange Corp. of Houston.  
   The estimated dumping margins alleged by the petitioners range from 99.23 to 257.11 percent and 78.49 percent to 145.25 percent for China and India, respectively. The petitioners allege that the subsidies are above de minimis.
   If Commerce determines that the steel flanges from China and India are being dumped on the U.S. market and/or receiving unfair government subsidies, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that they are dumped and/or unfairly government subsidized, then Commerce will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidies determined.
   According to Commerce, stainless steel flange imports from China and India in 2016 were valued at $16.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively.