Turkish steel exporters dispute U.S. dumping claims

Turkish steel shippers have gone on the offensive as U.S. steel producers plan to file additional antidumping and countervailing duty petitions.    Turkish steel shippers have gone on the offensive as U.S. steel producers plan to file additional antidumping and countervailing duty petitions with the Commerce Department against the country’s exports.
   The Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association said it considers the petitions “a coordinated campaign to bar Turkish imports and inhibit free and fair trade.” The association has asked the Turkish Ministry of Economy to appeal a previous case brought against the country’s steel industry by the United States in the World Trade Organization.
   “Acting in compliance with WTO rules, Turkey is a strong proponent of fair trade and is against the export of dumped or subsidized products,” said Namik Ekinci, the association’s president, in a statement. “As a longtime ally of the United States, it is disheartening to see these accusations brought forward, which only aims to complicate and hinder global trade, not improve it.”
   On July 22, U.S. steel producers filed a complaint against Turkish imports of heavy-walled rectangular carbon steel pipes and tubes, and are expected to file an additional petition against Turkish imports of hot-rolled coil in mid-August.
   The recent petitions follow a 2014 ruling, in which the Commerce Department imposed antidumping and countervailing duties on certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Turkey.
   In addition, as part of the U.S. International Trade Commission’s decision in the 2014 case, Commerce concluded that Erdemir, Turkey’s largest industrial conglomerate, is a state-controlled business. The Canada Border Services Agency, on the other hand, has determined Erdemir is a private company that operates and functions according to commercial principles, the association noted.
   The Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association said all steel producing companies in Turkey are privately held, and the industry is the fourth largest contributor to the country’s economy.