Trade Cases

Canada Launches Trade Case Against Mexican OCTG
Written by Michael Cowden
July 1, 2021
Canada has launched an anti-dumping trade case against oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Mexico.
The probe stems from a complaint filed by Regina, Saskatchewan-based Evraz Inc. NA Canada and Concord, Ontario-based Welded Tube of Canada, according to documents from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
The CBSA, which initiated its investigation on June 30, will make a preliminary decision within 90 days as to whether OCTG from Mexico is being dumped – at which point provisional duties might take effect.
The CBSA defines OCTG as casing, tubing and “green tubes.” The trade case targets both seamless and welded OCTG, carbon and alloy material, as well as both heat-treated and non-heat-treated product.
Green tubes refer to unfinished OCTG that is exported from Mexico and finished elsewhere. Such products made in Mexico and finished in Canada would be subject to the trade action.
Green tubes exported to a third country before re-export to Canada are not included in the probe. Also excluded from the investigation is drill pipe, pup joints, couplings, coupling stock and stainless OCTG.
OCTG is used to extract oil and natural gas from underground wells. Welded OCTG, which is made from welded sheet steel, is a key end market for hot-rolled coil.
Steel Market Update (SMU) does not carry a price for welded OCTG. But OCTG prices generally follow coil prices on a lag.
SMU’s benchmark hot-rolled coil prices stands at $1,770 per ton ($88.50 per ton), up 9.2% from $1,620 per ton a month ago and up nearly 80% from $985 per ton at the beginning of the year. See SMU’s interactive pricing tool.
By Michael Cowden, Michael@SteelMarketUpdate.com

Michael Cowden
Read more from Michael CowdenLatest in Trade Cases

Price: Expect new trade shocks as Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ tariff negotiations continue
President Trump cast a wide net with the proposed, reciprocal tariffs. The negotiating stage will be critical to determining the success of his strategy. And for those suffering tariff whiplash, don’t expect the pace of change to slow down just because the reciprocal tariffs are entering a negotiating phase.

SMU Survey: Less support seen for Trump tariff policies
Meanwhile, an increasing number think it's too early to say whether the penalties are going to bring more manufacturing to the US.

CRU: USW seeks exclusion for Canada from Trump’s tariffs
The union is also urging stronger enforcement against countries such as China which break trade rules, and a coordinated Canada-US strategy to protect union jobs across the North America

Price on trade: A lot happened last week – and it wasn’t all about tariffs
Should foreign investment be allowed to reshape the American steel Industry? Not to be lost in the recent on-again-off-again tariff frenzy, Nippon Steel’s proposed takeover of U.S. Steel has also found itself in President Trump’s crosshairs when it comes to trade and industrial policy. Nippon Steel initially announced its nearly $15-billion bid for U.S. Steel […]

Trump signs executive order aimed at making US shipbuilding ‘great again’
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order meant to breathe new life into American shipbuilding and curb Chinese dominance in the sector.