TRADE CASES HEADLINESTrade Cases
Commerce Department to Investigate Welded Austenitic Pipe from China
Feb. 21, 2008 The Department of Commerce announced it will initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of circular welded austenitic stainless pressure pipe (CWASPP) from P.R. China.
The Commerce Department’s antidumping and countervailing duty investigations cover circular welded austenitic stainless pressure pipe not greater than 14 inches in outside diameter. This merchandise includes, but is not limited to, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) A-312 or ASTM A-778 specifications, or comparable domestic or foreign specifications. Such products, which are generally considered to be a commodity product, are typically used as a conduit for liquids or gases.
However, the investigations exclude (1) welded stainless mechanical tubing, meeting ASTM A-554*; (2) boiler, heat exchanger, superheater, refining furnace, feedwater heater, and condenser tubing, meeting ASTM A-249 or ASTM A-688*; and (3) specialized tubing, meeting ASTM A-269 or ASTM A-270*.
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determination on or about March 17, 2008. If the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication of material injury or threatened material injury to the domestic industry associated with imports from China, the Commerce Department’s investigations would continue. In that case, Commerce will be scheduled to make its preliminary countervailing duty determination in April 2008, and its preliminary antidumping duty determination in July 2008.
Petitioners for these investigations include Bristol Metals, LP, Tenn.; Felker Brothers Corp., Wis.; Marcegaglia USA, Inc., Pa.; Outokumpu Stainless Pipe, Inc., Ill.; and the United Steelworkers of America, Pa.
* Or comparable domestic or foreign specifications.