US DOC starts AD probe on HR flat steel from 7 countries
The US Commerce Department launched a probe on September 1 into alleged dumping by several foreign steel producers accused of undercutting America’s domestic industry. US officials said seven nations were involved in underpricing some USD 2 billion worth of HR flat steel - Australia, Brazil, South Korea, the Netherlands, Britain, Japan and Turkey.
ALLEGED DUMPING MARGINS
COUNTRY DUMPING MARGINS
Australia 99.20 percent
Brazil 34.28 percent
Japan 16.15 to 34.53 percent
Korea 86.96 to 158.93 percent
Netherlands 55.21 to 173.17 percent
Turkey 96.77 to 197.41 percent
United Kingdom 50.63 to 161.75 percent
The products covered by these investigations are certain hot-rolled, flat-rolled steel products, with or without patterns in relief, and whether or not annealed, painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances. The products covered do not include those that are clad, plated, or coated with metal. The products covered include coils that have of 12.7 mm or greater, regardless of thickness and regardless of form of coil. The products covered also include products not in coils (e.g., in straight lengths) of a thickness of less than 4.75 mm and a width that is 12.7 mm or greater and that measures at least 10 times the thickness.
Unless specifically excluded, products are included in this scope regardless of levels of boron and titanium. For example, specifically included in this scope are vacuum degassed, fully stabilized (commonly referred to as interstitial-free (IF)) steels, high strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, the substrate for motor lamination steels, Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS), and Ultra High Strength Steels (UHSS). IF steels are recognized as low carbon steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as titanium and/or niobium added to stabilize carbon and nitrogen elements. HSLA steels are recognized as steels with micro-alloying levels of elements such as chromium, copper, niobium, titanium, vanadium, and molybdenum. The substrate for motor lamination steels contains micro-alloying levels of elements such as silicon and aluminum. AHSS and UHSS are considered high tensile strength and high elongation steels, although AHSS and UHSS are covered whether or not they are high tensile strength or high elongation steels.
The following products are outside of and/or specifically excluded from the scope of these investigations
- Universal mill plates (i.e., hot-rolled, flat-rolled products not in coils that have been rolled on four faces or in a closed box pass, of a width exceeding 150 mm but not exceeding 1250 mm, of a thickness not less than 4.0 mm, and without patterns in relief);
- Products that have been cold-rolled (cold-reduced) after hot rolling
- Ball bearing steels
- Tool steels
- Silico-manganese steels
The Commerce Department said it would reach a preliminary determination on the probe by September 25, and could set anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties beginning as early as November.
The petitioners for these investigations are AK Steel Corporation (OH), ArcelorMittal USA LLC (IL), Nucor Corporation (NC), SSAB Enterprises, LLC (IL), Steel Dynamics, Inc. (IN), and United States Steel Corporation (PA).
In 2014, imports of certain hot-rolled steel flat products from Australia, Brazil, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Turkey were valued at an estimated $143.8 million, $146.3 million, $359 million, $678.8 million, $315.2 million, $169.1 million, and $218.4 million, respectively.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its preliminary injury determinations on or before September 25, 2015.
Source : Strategic Research Institute