U.S. continues steel plate inquiry
By Staff -- Purchasing, 5/6/1999
The U.S. steel industry has won a partial victory against steel plate importers, as Uncle Sam has decided to pursue trade complaints against six of eight countries accused of illegally pricing cut-to-length steel plates. Cut-to-length plate, thicker than the widely used hot-rolled variety, is used in agricultural and construction equipment, bridges, ships, railcars, and buildings.The U.S. International Trade Commission voted to drop cases against the Czech Republic and Macedonia after finding their shipments of cut-to-length plates to be negligible (less than 3% of overall imports to the U.S.). The trade agency, meanwhile, found evidence that shipments from France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and South Korea may have hurt U.S. producers. This paves the way for a Commerce Department investigation that could lead to tariffs.
Five steelmakers and the United Steelworkers of America union accused the eight countries in February of illegally dumping cut-to-length steel in the U.S. at prices below production costs or home market prices. They also accused France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Macedonia, and South Korea of unfairly subsidizing their producers to artificially lower prices. The Commerce Department has until mid-May to issue a preliminary finding on subsidies and until late July to rule initially on dumping.
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