U.S. Department of Commerce Preliminarily Finds Countervailable Subsidization of Imports of Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2020
Contact: Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of forged steel fluid end blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy – finding that exporters received countervailable subsidies at rates that range from 16.18 to 138.53 percent, 5.25 to 10.04 percent, 4.69 percent, and 3.05 to 43.75 percent, respectively.
Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of forged steel fluid end blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy based on these preliminary rates.
The petitioners estimated that 2018 imports of forged steel fluid end blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy were valued at approximately $17.8 million, $23.3 million, $44.4 million, and $46.4 million, respectively.
The petitioners are the FEB Fair Trade Coalition (Cleveland), Ellwood City Forge Company, Ellwood Quality Steels Company, and Ellwood National Steel Company (Ellwood City, Pa.), and A. Finkl & Sons (Chicago).
Commerce is currently scheduled to announce its final CVD determinations on or about September 30.
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 November 14. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations in these investigations and the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue CVD orders. If Commerce or the ITC makes negative final determinations, the investigations will be terminated, and no orders will be issued.
Read the fact sheet on today’s decisions.
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 254 new antidumping (AD) and CVD investigations – this is a 234 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
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. Commerce currently maintains 525 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
Foreign companies that receive financial assistance from foreign governments that benefits the production of goods from those 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.
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 is consistent with international rules and is based on factual evidence provided on the record.
