Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from Germany, China, Switzerland, India, Italy and Korea.

“The dumping of goods below market value in the United States is something the Trump Administration takes very seriously,” said Secretary Ross. “The Department of Commerce will continue to stand up for American workers and businesses in order to ensure that everyone trades on a level playing field.”

The Commerce Department preliminarily determined that exporters from Germany, China, Switzerland, India, Italy and Korea have sold cold-drawn mechanical tubing in the United States at 5.10 percent to 209.06 less than fair value. The Department also preliminarily determined that critical circumstances exist for certain exporters/producers of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Italy and Korea.

As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from Germany (75.39 percent to 209.06 percent), China (61.59 percent to 186.89 percent), Switzerland (34.15 percent to 68.59 percent), Italy (31.42 percent to 36.80 percent), India (0.00 percent to 7.57 percent) and Korea (5.10 percent to 48.00 percent) based on these preliminary rates.

In 2016, imports of cold-drawn mechanical tubing from China, Germany, Italy, India, Korea, and Switzerland were valued at an estimated $29.4, $38.8, $25.0, $11.9, $21.3 and $26.2 million, respectively.

The petitioners are ArcelorMittal Tubular Products (OH), Michigan Seamless Tube, LLC (MI), Plymouth Tube Co., USA (Warrenville, IL), PTC Alliance Corp. (PA), Webco Industries, Inc. (OK) and Zekelman Industries, Inc. (PA).

Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. From January 20, 2017, through November 16, 2017, Commerce has initiated 77 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 61 percent increase from 48 in the previous year.

The AD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 412 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

Unless the final determinations are postponed, Commerce is currently scheduled to announce its final AD determinations on January 30, 2018.

If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce makes negative final determinations of dumping or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of critical circumstances and the ITC makes affirmative final determinations of critical circumstances, the Department will direct CBP to collect cash deposits of estimated antidumping duties on cold-drawn mechanical tubing that entered the United States 90 days prior to the publication of the preliminary determinations in the Federal Register. If Commerce or the ITC makes negative final determinations of critical circumstances, the Department will direct CBP to refund cash deposits of estimated antidumping duties on cold-drawn mechanical tubing that entered the United States prior to the publication of the preliminary determinations in the Federal Register.

Click HERE for a fact sheet on today’s decision.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Enforcement and Compliance unit within the International Trade Administration is responsible for vigorously enforcing U.S. trade laws and does so through an impartial, transparent process that abides by international law and is based solely on factual evidence.

Foreign companies that price their products in the U.S. market below the cost of production or below prices in their home markets are subject to antidumping duties.