US slaps anti-dumping duties on carbon and alloy steel from India ahead of trade deal

26 Sep 2019

The US Department of Commerce has announced affirmative action by slapping antidumping duty (AD) investigations on imports of carbon and alloy steel threaded rod from India, China and Taiwan, alleging dumping of these products in the US market to the detriment of US producers.

The commerce department announced the highest duty of 32.26 per cent on carbon and alloy steel imported from Taiwan and lower rate of duty of 4.81 per cent for Chinese products and an even lower rate of 2.04 percent for such imports from India.
The commerce department will now instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of carbon and alloy steel threaded rod from China, India, and Taiwan as applicable.
In 2018, imports of carbon and alloy steel threaded rod from China, India, and Taiwan were valued at an estimated $325 million, $111 million, and $156 million, respectively.
The commerce department’s action follows a petition filed by US steel producer Vulcan Threaded Products, Inc.
The Trump administration has been strictly enforcing all applicable US trade laws since the beginning of the current administration to deter imports that hurt US manufacturers. Commerce department has initiated 182 new antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 231 per cent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
Antidumping and countervailing duty laws provide American businesses and workers with a mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of low priced imports into the United States. The commerce department currently maintains 496 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries against cheap imports.
Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determination with respect to Taiwan on or about 4 December 2019, and with respect to China and India, on or about 11 February 2020.
If the final determinations are affirmative, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determination with respect to Taiwan on or about 24 January 2020, and with respect to China and India, on or about 26 March 2020. 
If the final determinations of anti-dumping duty is negative, or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.