Trade Cases
OCTG Imports from Argentina, Mexico, Russia Under Investigation
Written by Tim Triplett
November 19, 2021
At the direction of the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Commerce Department will continue to investigate oil country tubular goods (OCTG) imports from Argentina, Mexico and Russia that are allegedly being subsidized and dumped in the U.S. at below fair value.
In a Nov. 19 vote, the USITC ruled there is reasonable indication that the U.S. industry is being materially injured by unfair OCTG imports from the three nations. It accuses the governments of Russia and South Korea of subsidizing their OCTG producers.
The investigation covers hollow steel products of circular cross section including seamless or welded oil well casing and tubing, as well as OCTG coupling stock.
Petitioners in the case include Borusan Mannesmann Pipe U.S., PTC Liberty Tubulars, U.S. Steel Tubular Products, Welded Tube USA and the AFL-CIO.
The Commerce Department will issue its preliminary countervailing duty determinations by Dec. 30 and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations by March 15, 2022.
According to the filing, U.S. producers had OCTG shipments of $2.1 billion in 2020. Imports from the nations in question amounted to $493 million of a total $3.1 billion in U.S. consumption.
Unfair imports of OCTG products don’t just impact producers of tubular goods. The OCTG sector is a major consumer of the flat-rolled steel and plate produced in the U.S.
By Tim Triplett, Tim@SteelMarketUpdate.com
Tim Triplett
Read more from Tim TriplettLatest in Trade Cases
Price on Trade: IEEPA tariffs head to the Supreme Court, DOJ ramps up trade enforcement
International trade law and policy remain a hot topic in Washington and beyond this week. We are paying special attention to the ongoing litigation of the president’s tariff policies and the administration’s efforts to heighten trade enforcement.
Mexico considers stiff tariffs for steel, autos, and other imports
Mexico is considering imposing steep tariffs on imports of steel, automobiles, and over 1,400 other products. Its target? Countries with which it does not have free trade agreements, mainly China, India, Thailand, and other South Asian nations.
Leibowitz: With ‘reciprocal’ tariffs struck down again in court, what happens next?
President Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Policy Act (IEEPA) were struck down again, this time on Aug. 29 by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). The legal and policy mess continues, with the next stop being the US Supreme Court.
Market unfazed by US circuit court’s IEEPA decision
Repealing any reciprocal tariffs placed by President Donald Trump on US imports of direct reduced iron (DRI), iron ore, hot-briquetted iron (HBI), and pig iron would have only a nominal impact on the US steel market, market participants said.
ITC votes to keep HR duties after sunset review
The US government determined this week that hot-rolled steel imports from a handful of countries continue to threaten the domestic steel industry.