Trade Cases
DOC Preliminary Determination on Stainless Steel & Strip from China is Affirmative
Written by Sandy Williams
September 12, 2016
The Department of Commerce announced an affirmative preliminary decision in the investigation of dumping of imports of stainless steel and strip from China. The China-wide rate assigned was 76.64 percent due to a failure of producers and exporters to respond to Commerce’s request for information. Non-selected separate rate respondents received a dumping rate of 63.86 percent.
The Sept. 12 decision finds that dumping occurred by mandatory respondents Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co., Ltd. and Tianjin Taigang Daming Metal Product Co., Ltd. but that the respondents were not eligible for a separate rate and, therefore, were assigned the China-wide rate.
The rate designations in this investigation can be confusing. Because China is a non-market economy, the DOC can conduct a Separate Rate Investigation or Review, in which it determines whether exporters applying for a separate rate are qualified. The criteria, in short, requires that the company’s exports not be governmentally controlled. The two companies mentioned above who applied for the separate rate did not meet the criteria so they received the China-wide rate of 76.64 percent.
Other firms that were found to be independent of government control received the lower dumping rate of 63.86 percent.
The merchandise covered by this investigation is stainless steel sheet and strip, whether in coils or straight lengths.
The petitioners for this investigation are AK Steel, ATI Flat Rolled Products, North American Stainless and Outokumpu Stainless USA.
Next steps:
Commerce will make its final determination November 23, 2016 followed by the ITC final determination of injury on January 7, 2017. If both determinations are in the affirmative, AD orders will be issued by January 14, 2017.
Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Trade Cases
Leibowitz: Renewed trade war with China over rare earths
On Oct.10, President Trump announced major increases in tariffs on Chinese goods. The trigger was a new regime of export controls on rare earth metals and products using those elements, including magnets, capital equipment, and catalysts for catalytic converters in cars and trucks.
Industry piles on new Section 232 steel derivative inclusion requests
The Department of Commerce received 97 submissions from producers, manufacturers, and groups seeking Section 232 tariff coverage for steel and aluminum derivative products.
Price on Trade: New EU steel tariffs don’t mean the US should weaken its stance
Any steel imports into the EU that exceed the new, lower quota level would be subject to a 50% tariff, which represents a major increase from the EU’s current 25% out-of-quota tariff. This move would largely align the EU’s steel tariff rate with Canada and the United States.
Global steel forum sets 2026 framework deadline as US ups pressure on excess capacity
Global steelmakers sounded the alarm Friday over the deepening excess steelmaking capacity crisis. Ministers at the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) in Gqeberha, South Africa, pledged to...
CRU: China’s indirect steel exports find new destination markets
The boom in China’s direct steel exports has not stopped this year, even with a rise in protectionist measures globally. The increase is driven by...