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ITC to End Most Duties on Plate and Corrosion-Resistant Steel Imports

12/15/2006 -  

 

Dec. 15, 2006 — The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced that it will revoke countervailing and antidumping duty orders on cut-to-length plate from Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Existing duties on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Australia, Canada, France, and Japan will also be revoked.

A group that formed to represent the interests of the six largest domestic automakers applauded the ITC’s decision to revoke anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on corrosion resistant steel from Australia, Canada, France and Japan. "We are pleased that the ITC revoked most of the duties," said Stephen E. Biegun, Vice President, International Governmental Affairs, Ford Motor Co.

The six auto manufacturers participating in the proceedings were DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan and Toyota.

Japanese steelmakers also welcomed the ITC’s decision to eliminate anti-dumping duties on corrosion-resistant steel sheet from Japan.

Hidenori Tazawa, Chairman of the Japan Steel Information Center, here, explained that most Japanese steel imports are high value-added products in specifications unavailable from U.S. steelmakers in adequate volumes. He said that the market for corrosion-resistant steel “was extremely tight in 2006 with many purchasers informing the ITC that domestic producers limited or refused supply.”

The decision to revoke the existing duties follows the ITC’s five-year (sunset) review and resultant determination that revoking these orders would not be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping, subsidies or material injury to the domestic market within a reasonably foreseeable time.

The ITC will, however, uphold existing orders on imports of corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Germany and Korea. This decision also follows the ITC’s five-year (sunset) review and resultant determination that revoking these orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping, subsidies or material injury to the domestic market within a reasonably foreseeable time.

With respect to cut-to-length plate from Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom, all six Commissioners made negative determinations.

With respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Germany and Korea, all six Commissioners made affirmative determinations. With respect to corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Australia, Canada, France, and Japan, Chairman Daniel R. Pearson, Vice Chairman Shara L. Aranoff, and Commissioners Jennifer A. Hillman and Deanna Tanner Okun made negative determinations; Commissioners Stephen Koplan and Charlotte R. Lane made affirmative determinations.

The five-year (sunset) reviews concerning carbon steel plate imports from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom were instituted effective November 1, 2005. On February 6, 2006, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews.