US slaps preliminary import duty on Indian steel pipes
05 May 2016
The US Commerce Department on Wednesday proposed preliminary duties on welded stainless pressure pipes imported from India stating the goods were being dumped in the US market at below market prices.
The commerce department's decision follows a complaint made last year by Bristol Metals, a subsidiary of US steel products maker Synalloy Corp; Outokumpu Stainless Pipe, a subsidiary of Finnish firm Outokumpu; and Felker Brothers Corp and Marcegaglia USA.
The department has calculated dumping margins of the products to be around 18.9 per cent and accordingly, instructed customs department to collect cash deposits of up to 16.9 per cent from importers until the case is decided upon.
The commerce department said it would announce its final decision on any anti-dumping duties by 17 September.
The department had, in March, issued its preliminary findings on such imports of steel pipes at what I said ''unfairly subsidised'' rates. A final decision on the matter is expected by 18 July.
The US Commerce Department is on a regular probe into alleged dumping of steel pipes from countries such as India, South Korea and seven other countries.
These pipes are mostly imported by natural gas producers and distributors in the US and the department had in 2013 launched a similar probe following complaints by American steel manufacturers that the imports of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from these nine countries have increased to $1.8 billion in 2012, adversely affecting US industry.
Besides India and South Korea, the list included Vietnam, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine.
The US had, in 2010, slapped anti-dumping duties on imports of OCTG from China after they hit about $2.8 billion in 2008.
The squeeze on Chinese exports of steel pipes and the rising US oil and natural gas production have increased demand for steel pipes in the US, opening avenues for other low-cost suppliers of steel pipes.
