Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of fabricated structural steel (FSS) from Canada (AD only), China and Mexico, and a negative final determination in the CVD investigation of FSS from Canada. 

Commerce determined that producers and/or exporters from Canada, China, and Mexico have sold FSS at less than fair value in the United States at rates of: 0-6.70 percent, 61.71-154.14 percent, and 0-30.58 percent, respectively.

In addition, Commerce determined that producers and/or exporters from China and Mexico received countervailable subsidies at rates of 27.34-206.49 percent and 0.01-68.87 percent, respectively.

Because Commerce reached a negative CVD determination with respect to producers and/or exporters from Canada, this investigation is terminated and no CVD duties will be collected on imports from Canada.

In 2018, imports of FSS from Canada, China, and Mexico were valued at an estimated $722.5 million, $897.5 million, and $622.4 million, respectively.

The petitioner is the American Institute of Steel Construction Full Member Subgroup (Chicago, IL).

The strict enforcement of U.S. trade law is a primary focus of the Trump Administration.  Since the beginning of the current administration, Commerce has initiated 195 new AD and CVD investigations – a 164 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.

AD and CVD laws provide American 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 515 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) is currently scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or about March 9, 2020.  If the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD and CVD orders.  If the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated, and no orders will be issued.

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

 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 rules and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.

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 AD duties.  Foreign companies that receive unfair subsidies from their governments, such as grants, loans, equity infusions, tax breaks, or production inputs, are subject to CVD duties aimed at directly countering those subsidies.