U.S. Department of Commerce Preliminarily Finds Dumping of Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks from Germany and Italy; Issues Negative Preliminary Determination for India
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2020
Contact: ITA Office of Public Affairs
Phone: 202-482-3809
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of forged steel fluid end blocks (fluid end blocks) from Germany and Italy, and a negative preliminary determination on fluid end blocks from India.
Commerce preliminarily determined that certain exporters from Germany and certain exporters from Italy have dumped fluid end blocks in the United States at margins of 7.74 percent to 15.47 percent, and 4.84 percent to 50.93 percent, respectively.
As a result of today’s decisions, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of fluid end blocks from Germany and Italy based on the preliminary rates noted above. Because Commerce reached a preliminary negative determination with respect to fluid end blocks from India, Commerce will not instruct CBP to collect antidumping cash deposits from importers of fluid end blocks from India. Countervailing duty cash deposits are already required from importers of fluid end blocks from all three countries, due to concurrent countervailing duty investigations.
The petitioners are the FEB Fair Trade Coalition (Cleveland), Ellwood City Forge Company, Ellwood Quality Steels Company, and Ellwood National Steel Company (collectively, the Ellwood Group) (Ellwood City, Pa.), and A. Finkl & Sons (Finkl Steel) (Chicago).
Commerce is scheduled to announce its final determinations in these cases on or about November 28.
If Commerce’s final determinations are affirmative, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will be scheduled to make its final injury determinations on or about January 12, 2021. If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the ITC makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce or the ITC issue negative final determinations, the investigations will be terminated, and no orders will be issued.
In 2018, imports of fluid end blocks from Germany, India, and Italy were valued at an estimated $23.3 million, $44.4 million, and $46.4 million, respectively.
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 266 new AD and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations – a 241 percent increase from the comparable period in the previous administration.
The antidumping duty law provides 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 529 AD and CVD orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
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.
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.
