U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping and Subsidization of Imports of Cast Iron Soil Pipe Fittings from China
Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from the People’s Republic of China.
Commerce determined that exporters from China have sold cast iron soil pipe fittings in the United States at 22.11 to 360.39 percent less than fair value. Commerce also determined that China is providing countervailable subsidies to its producers of cast iron soil pipe fittings at rates ranging from 7.37 to 133.94 percent.
In 2017, imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China were valued at an estimated $7.8 million.
The petitioner is the Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute (IL), whose members are AB&I Foundry (CA), Charlotte Pipe & Foundry (NC), and Tyler Pipe (TX).
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 118 new AD and CVD investigations – this is 30 percent more than the 91 initiations in the last 532 days of the previous administration.
Antidumping and countervailing duty laws provide American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of dumping unfairly priced and unfairly subsidized imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 448 antidumping and countervailing duty 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 August 20, 2018. 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.
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 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 antidumping duties. Foreign companies that receive financial assistance from foreign governments that benefits the production of goods from foreign companies and is limited to specific enterprises or industries, or is contingent either upon export performance or upon the use of domestic goods over imported goods, are subject to countervailing duties.
