Japanese stainless steel tubing faces high duties

By Staff -- Purchasing, 8/10/2000

Commerce has ruled that Japanese exporters are selling stainless steel tubing in the U.S. below market value and have ordered punitive duties as high as 157%. The U.S. International Trade Commission now must endorse the duty order. If the ITC decides the U.S. industry has been materially injured by the low-priced imports, the duties will be imposed on tubing from Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd., Japan's number-four steelmaker, and Sanyo Special Tube Co.

U.S. steel producers American Extruded Products, pmac Ltd., Salem Tube Inc. and International Extruded Products brought the complaint on tubing products used for nuclear and conventional power plants, stock lines for petrochemical facilities, pharmaceutical production lines, and food-processing equipment. The petitioners have claimed that Japan's exports of these tubing products to the U.S. surged 43% from 1996 to 1998, while the average U.S. customs value of these imports on weight basis declined 30% during the same period.