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Commerce sets duties for corrosive-resistant steel imports

The Commerce Department this week said it will impose antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from China, India, Italy and South Korea, as result of its investigations.

   The Commerce Department this week said it will impose antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of corrosion-resistant steel products from China, India, Italy and South Korea, as a result of its investigations.
   In its investigation of these imports from Taiwan, the department will only apply antidumping duties to these products from Taiwan, but no countervailing duties.
   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 that a foreign government gives to its domestic industries to encourage the use of non-imported inputs for export-related production.
   In Commerce’s China antidumping investigation, it established a China-wide dumping rate of 209.97 percent for all Chinese producers/exporters of corrosion-resistant steel products (CORE).
   Commerce’s investigation of CORE imports led to JSW Steel and Uttam Gala Steels Ltd. of India receiving dumping margins of 4.44 percent and 3.05 percent, respectively, with the remainder of Indian producers/exporters receiving a dumping margin of 3.86 percent.
   In its Italy antidumping investigation, Commerce found dumping had occurred with Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A. at a margin of 12.63 percent, and with Marcegaglia S.p.A. at a margin of 92.12 percent. For all other Italian producers/exporters the dumping rate is 12.63 percent.
   Commerce in its South Korea antidumping investigation found Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd./Union Steel Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Hyundai Steel Co. had dumping margins of 8.75 percent and 47.80 percent, respectively. The country’s other producers/exporters received a dumping margin of 28.28 percent.
   In its Taiwan antidumping investigation, Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., Ltd. and Prosperity Tieh Enterprise Co., Ltd. were treated as a single entity and received a dumping margin of 3.77 percent. A similar dumping margin was applied to all other Taiwanese producers and exporters of CORE to the United States.
   Commerce in its China countervailing duty investigation determined that Yieh Phui (China) Technomaterial Co., Ltd. received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 39.05 percent, while Angang Group Hong Kong Company Ltd., Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Duferco S.A. (and its cross-owned companies Hebei Iron & Steel Group, and Tangshan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd.), Changshu Everbright Material Technology, and Handan Iron & Steel Group received a subsidy rate of 241.07 percent. Commerce calculated a subsidy rate of 39.05 percent for all other Chinese producers/exporters.
   In its India countervailing duty investigation, Commerce determined that JSW Steel Ltd. received countervailable subsidy rate of 29.46 percent and respondent Uttam Galva Steels Ltd. received a countervailable subsidy rate of 8 percent. Commerce calculated a subsidy rate of 18.73 percent for all other Indian producers/exporters.
   Based on its countervailing duty investigation into CORE imports from Italy, Commerce determined that Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A. and Marcegaglia S.p.A. received countervailable subsidies at rates of 0.48 percent and 0.07 percent, respectively, which are both de minimis, while Ilva S.p.A. received a subsidy rate of 38.51 percent. Commerce calculated a subsidy rate of 13.02 percent for all other Italian producers/exporters.
   In its South Korea countervailing duty investigation, Commerce determined that Dongbu Steel Co., Ltd./Dongbu Incheon Steel Co., Ltd. received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 1.19 percent, and Union Steel Manufacturing Co. Ltd./Dongkuk Steel Mill Co., Ltd. received countervailable subsidies at a rate of 0.72 percent, which is de minimis. Commerce calculated a subsidy rate of 1.19 percent for all other South Korean producers/exporters.
   Commerce found in its countervailing duty investigation of Prosperity Tieh Enterprise Co., Ltd.; Hong-Ye Steel Co., Ltd.; Prosperity Did Enterprise Co., Ltd.; and Chan Lin Enterprise Co., Ltd. (collectively Prosperity Companies); and Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., Ltd.; Yieh Corp. Ltd.; Shin Yang Steel Co., Ltd.; and Synn Industrial Co., Ltd. (collectively Yieh Phui Companies) that they did not receive countervailable subsidies.
   As a result of its antidumping determinations, Commerce said it will instruct Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits equal to the applicable weighted-average dumping margins.
   Further, in the investigations where Commerce made affirmative final countervailing duty determinations, if the U.S. International Trade Commission issues affirmative injury determinations, Commerce will then order the resumption of the suspension of liquidation and require cash deposits for countervailing duties equal to the final subsidy rates.
   If the ITC issues negative injury determinations, these investigations will end and no producers/exporters will be subject to future cash deposits for either antidumping or countervailing duties. In addition, all cash deposits will be refunded, Commerce said.
   The ITC is scheduled to make its final injury determinations in these investigations by July 8.
   The petitioners for these antidumping and countervailing duty investigations related to CORE imports included U.S. Steel Corporation of Pennsylvania, Nucor Corp. in North Carolina, ArcelorMittal USA of Illinois, AK Steel Corp. in Ohio, Steel Dynamics of Indiana, and California Steel Industries in California.
   Commerce estimated that in 2015 imports of CORE from China, India, Italy, South Korea and Taiwan were valued at an estimated $500.3 million, $219.6 million, $110 million, $509.1 million and $534.4 million, respectively.

Chris Gillis

Located in the Washington, D.C. area, Chris Gillis primarily reports on regulatory and legislative topics that impact cross-border trade. He joined American Shipper in 1994, shortly after graduating from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Md., with a degree in international business and economics.