Cold-Roll Imports from China, Japan Face Duties
By
Metal Center News Staff on
Jul 6, 2016 July 6, 2016 Cold-Roll Imports from China, Japan Face Duties Unfairly priced and subsidized imports of cold-rolled steel from China and Japan have injured the domestic industry and should be subject to duties, ruled the International Trade Commission in a unanimous vote June 22. As a result, the Department of Commerce will issue a countervailing duty order on cold-rolled imports from China and antidumping duty orders on cold-roll imports from China and Japan. The case was originally filed last July by AK Steel Corp., West Chester, Ohio; ArcelorMittal USA LLC, Chicago; Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C.; Steel Dynamics, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind.; and United States Steel Corp., Pittsburgh. In May, the Commerce Department recommended import duties of 522 percent on Chinese producers and 71.35 percent on Japanese producers. There are about 13 producers of cold-rolled steel in the U.S. with a combined workforce of about 11,200. Shipments by U.S. producers in 2015 totaled about $6.8 billion. Imports from China and Japan last year totaled $431.5 million. Commenting on the ITC vote, United Steelworkers President Leo W. Gerard said: “This vote signals to steelworkers that more help is on the way. They have been watching as foreign competitors targeted the products they made and the jobs they held by subsidizing and dumping imports into our market. They have waited far too long—almost a year since this case was filed—for the relief they so desperately needed along with restoration of fair market conditions.” "This decision addresses an important product segment in our domestic steel sector. But, because of the way our laws work, other affirmative final decisions by the ITC will be needed to provide relief to thousands of other workers. Without a comprehensive approach by our government, we have to cobble together relief. This is time consuming, expensive and unfair to those whose jobs have been under attack,” Gerard adds.