Government/Policy
Commerce Assigns Subsidy Duties to Propane Cylinders from China
Written by Sandy Williams
October 22, 2018
Commerce has issued a preliminary affirmative determination in the countervailing duty investigation of steel propane cylinders from China.
A preliminary subsidy rate of 42.77 percent has been assigned to Shandong Huanri Group and producers and exporters in the “all other” category. A preliminary rate of 145.37 percent has been assigned to TPA Metals and Machinery and five other producers/exporters for failure to respond to the Commerce questionnaire.
The merchandise covered by this investigation is steel cylinders for compressed or liquefied propane gas (steel propane cylinders) meeting the requirements of, or produced to meet the requirements of, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Specifications 4B, 4BA, or 4BW, or Transport Canada Specification 4BM, 4BAM, or 4BWM, or United Nations pressure receptacle standard ISO 4706. Specifically excluded are seamless steel propane cylinders and propane cylinders made from stainless steel, aluminum or composite fiber material.
Commerce estimates U.S. imports of steel propane cylinders from China were valued at $89.8 million in 2017.
The petition was filed in May 2018 by Worthington Industries (Columbus, Ohio) and Manchester Tank & Equipment Co. (Franklin, Tenn.).
Commerce will make its final determination on March 4 and the ITC on April 18. If both determinations are in the affirmative, orders will be issued on April 25.
Sandy Williams
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