The Department of Commerce has announced it will initiate antidumping duty investigations on imports of Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod from P.R. China, Germany, and Turkey.

Petitions requesting these investigations were filed by Connecticut Steel Corp., Conn.; Gerdau AmeriSteel U.S., Inc., Fla.; Keystone Steel & Wire Co., Ill.; ISG Georgetown, Inc. (Mittal Steel U.S.A. Georgetown), S.C.; and Rocky Mountain Steel Mills, Colo. Materials under investigation include hot-rolled products of carbon steel and alloy steel, in coils ranging from 4.75 to 19.00 mm in solid cross-sectional diameter. The investigation excludes stainless steel, tool steel, high nickel steel, ball bearing steel, concrete reinforcing bars, and free machining steel products.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make preliminary injury determinations on or about December 27. If the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports from these countries are causing real or threatened material injury to the domestic industry, investigations will continue and the Department will make its preliminary antidumping duty determinations in April 2006.

If the ITC makes negative preliminary injury determinations, the investigations will be terminated.