U.S. begins investigating steel concrete bar dumping

The Commerce Department has launched antidumping investigations on imports of steel concrete reinforcing bar from Japan, Taiwan and Turkey, and a countervailing duty investigation on these same imports from Turkey.    The Commerce Department said it has started antidumping investigations on imports of steel concrete reinforcing bar from Japan, Taiwan and Turkey, and a countervailing duty investigation on these same imports from Turkey.
   Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than its fair value, while a countervailable subsidy is financial assistance from a foreign government that benefits its domestic producers of goods and is contingent on their export performance.
   The petitioners of these investigations include the Rebar Trade Action Coalition and its members Bayou Steel Group of Louisiana, Byer Steel Group in Ohio, Commercial Metals Co. of Texas, Gerdau Ameristeel U.S. in Florida, Nucor Corp. of North Carolina, and Steel Dynamics in Indiana.
   The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determinations for these investigations by Nov. 4. If the ITC determines there is a reasonable indication that these imports from Japan, Taiwan and Turkey harm U.S. industry, the investigations will continue and Commerce will be scheduled to make its preliminary countervailing duty determination in December and its preliminary antidumping determinations in February 2017. If the ITC’s preliminary determinations are negative, the investigations will be terminated.
   According to Commerce, in 2015 imports of steel concrete reinforcing bar from Japan, Taiwan and Turkey, were valued at an estimated $108.69 million, $17.57 million and $674.40 million, respectively.