U.S. duties near for cold-rolled steel imports

The U.S. Commerce Department made its affirmative final determinations in the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of imports of certain cold-rolled steel flat products from several nations.    The U.S. Commerce Department said it has made its affirmative final determinations in the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of imports of certain cold-rolled steel flat products from Brazil, India, South Korea and Russia, along with an antidumping investigation of similar imports from the United Kingdom.
   Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than its fair value, while countervailable subsides are financial assistance given out by foreign governments to their domestic industries based on export performance.
   In Commerce’s Brazil antidumping investigation, it found that dumping has occurred by Companhia Siderurgica Nacional at a margin of 14.43 percent, while Usiminas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais received a final dumping margin of 35.43 percent. All other cold-rolled steel producers/exporters in Brazil received a dumping margin of 14.43 percent.
   Commerce found that dumping has occurred by India’s JSW Steel Ltd./JSW Coated Products Ltd. at a margin of 7.6 percent, while all other Indian producers/exporters of cold-rolled steel received a dumping margin of 7.6 percent.
   In its South Korea antidumping investigation, Commerce found that dumping has occurred by POSCO/Daewoo International Corp. and Hyundai Steel Corp. at margins of 6.32 percent and 34.33 percent, respectively. Other South Korean producers/exporters of cold-rolled steel received a final dumping margin of 20.33 percent.
   Commerce said dumping has occurred by Russia’s Joint Stock Company Severstal and Novolipetsk Steel OJSC at margins of 13.36 percent and 1.04 percent (de minimis), respectively. A final dumping margin of 13.36 percent was calculated for all other Russian cold-rolled steel producers/exporters.
   In its U.K. investigation, Commerce found that dumping has occurred by Caparo Precision Strip, Ltd./ Liberty Performance Steels Ltd. and Tata Steel U.K. Ltd. at dumping margins of 5.4 percent and 25.56 percent, respectively, while a final dumping margin of 22.92 percent was determined for all other U.K. producers/exporters.
   For Commerce’s Brazil countervailing duty investigation, it calculated final subsidy rates for Companhia Siderurgica Nacional and Usiminas of 11.31 percent and 11.09 percent, respectively. Commerce calculated a final subsidy rate of 11.2 percent for all other cold-rolled steel producers/exporters in Brazil.
   In the India countervailing duty investigation, Commerce said it calculated a final subsidy rate of 10 percent for JSW Steel Ltd. and its cross-owned affiliate JSW Coated Products Ltd., while it also calculated a final subsidy rate of 10 percent for all other producers/exporters in India.
   For its South Korea countervailing duty investigation, Commerce calculated a final subsidy rate of 3.91 percent for Hyundai Steel Co., Ltd., while POSCO received a final subsidy rate of 58.36 percent. Commerce calculated a final subsidy rate of 3.91 percent for all other producers/exporters in South Korea.
   In Commerce’s Russia countervailing investigation, it calculated a final subsidy rate of 6.95 percent for Novolipetsk Steel OJSC, Novex Trading, Altai-Koks OJSC, Dolomite OJSC, Stoilensky OJSC, Studenovskaya OJSC, Trading House, Vtorchermet NLMK, Vtorchermet OJSC and Vtorchermet NLMK Center. Additionally, Commerce calculated a de minimis final subsidy rate of 0.62 percent for PAO Severstal, Severstal Export GmbH, JSC Karelsky Okatysh, AO OLKON, AO Vorkutaugol and JSC Vtorchermet. All other cold-rolled steel producers in Russia received a final subsidy rate of 6.95 percent, Commerce said.
   The petitioners for these investigations were AK Steel Corp. in Ohio, ArcelorMittal USA of Illinois, Nucor Corp. in North Carolina, Steel Dynamics of Indiana and U.S. Steel Corp. in Pennsylvania.
   In 2014, Commerce estimated import values of cold-rolled steel from Brazil, India, Korea, Russia, and the United Kingdom to be $65 million, $57 million, $206 million, $54 million, and $132 million, respectively.
   Meanwhile, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) plans to make its final determinations in the investigations of cold-rolled steel for these countries by Sept. 3. If the ITC makes affirmative final determinations that imports of cold-rolled steel from Brazil, India, Russia, South Korea, and/or the United Kingdom harm domestic industry, then Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders. If the ITC makes negative determinations of injury, the investigations will end, Commerce said.