U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Countervailing Duty Determinations for Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe from Russia and South Korea
For Immediate Release
December 8, 2020
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced affirmative preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe from Russia and South Korea.
Commerce preliminarily determined that exporters from Russia and South Korea received countervailable subsidies at rates of 4.39 percent, and 2.13 percent, respectively.
As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe from Russia and South Korea based on the preliminary rates noted above.
The petitioner is Vallourec Star, LP (Houston, Texas).
Commerce is scheduled to announce its final CVD determinations in these cases on or about April 19, 2021, unless the deadline is extended.
If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or about June 3, 2021. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations in these investigations and the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue CVD 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.
In 2019, imports of seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe from Russia and South Korea were valued at an estimated, $39.5 million and $24.4 million, respectively.
Read the fact sheet on today’s decision(s).
Commerce is conducting concurrent antidumping duty (AD) investigations of seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe from the Czech Republic, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. The preliminary AD determination for Czech Republic is scheduled to be announced on December 16 (cannot be extended). The preliminary AD determinations for Russia, South Kore, and Ukraine are scheduled to be announced on February 4, 2021 (fully extended).
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 306 new AD and CVD investigations – a 283 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration. Commerce currently maintains 539 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
The CVD law provides American businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair subsidization of imports into the United States.
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.
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 solely on facts submitted to the public record.
