Welded pipe imports in crosshairs

The Commerce Department has initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of large diameter welded pipe from Canada, China, Greece, India, South Korea and Turkey.    The Commerce Department has initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations into imports of large diameter welded pipe from Canada, China, Greece, India, South Korea and Turkey.
   The goal of the investigations is to determine whether this product is dumped on the U.S. market at less than fair value or receives unfair government subsidies.
   The investigations are based on a recent petition filed by a group of U.S. pipe manufacturers, including American Cast Iron Pipe Co. of Birmingham, Ala.; Berg Steel Pipe Corp. of Panama City, Fla.; Dura-Bond Industries of Steelton, Pa.; Skyline Steel of Parsippany, N.J.; and Stupp Corp. of Baton Rouge, La.
   The estimated dumping margins alleged by the petitioners are 50.89 percent for Canada, 41.04 percent for Greece, 120.84 to 132.63 percent for China, 37.94 percent for India, 16.18 to 20.39 percent for South Korea, and 66.09 percent for Turkey.
   The unfair subsidy programs alleged by the petitioners include export subsidies, inputs for less-than-adequate-remuneration, tax incentives, and subsidized loans from China, India, South Korea and Turkey. Large diameter welded pipe from Canada and Greece are excluded from the countervailing duty investigations.
   According to Commerce, imports of large diameter welded pipe in 2016 from Canada, China, India, Greece, South Korea and Turkey were valued at $66 million, $139 million, $26 million, $70 million, $150.3 million and $116.1 million, respectively.
   The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will make its preliminary determinations of injury to U.S. industry by March 5. If the ITC determines that an injury has taken place, then Commerce’s investigations will continue, with its preliminary countervailing and antidumping determinations expected to be delivered by April 16 and June 29, respectively. If either the ITC finds no injury, or Commerce determines that there is no dumping or countervailable subsidies, the investigations will end.