ITC continues wire rod, carton staples import investigations

The U.S. International Trade Commission voted to continue its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of steel wire rod and its antidumping investigation into carton staple imports.    The U.S. International Trade Commission voted to continue its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of steel wire rod and its antidumping investigation into carton-closing staple imports.
   Dumping occurs when goods are sold by a foreign company in the United States at less than fair value, while countervailable subsidies are paid by foreign governments to companies contingent on their export performance or use of domestic inputs over imported goods.
   The ITC started its antidumping investigation into steel rod imports from Belarus, Italy, South Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, and its countervailing duty investigations against the governments of Italy and Turkey in March.
   As a result of the commission’s affirmative determinations, the Commerce Department will continue to conduct its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into these imports from the ten countries, with its preliminary countervailing duty determinations due by June 21, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due by Sept. 5.
   The petitioners for these investigations include Charter Steel, Saukville, Wis.; Gerdau Ameristeel US, Tampa, Fla.; Keystone Consolidated Industries, Peoria, Ill.; and Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C.
   It’s estimated that the countries subject to the investigations exported $303.4 million of steel rod to the United States in 2016, with the leading sources being Canada, Japan, Ukraine, Brazil and Russia in terms of quantity.
   Meanwhile, the ITC also voted to continue its antidumping investigation into carton-closing staple imports from China.
   As a result of the commission’s affirmative determination, Commerce will continue to conduct its antidumping duty investigation on the imports of this product from China, with its preliminary antidumping duty determination due by Sept. 7.
   The petitioner for the investigation is North American Steel & Wire, Inc./ISM Enterprises of Butler, Pa., which started in late March. It’s estimated that China exported $9.1 million of this product to the United States in 2016.