The U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) has announced that it will open a new anti-dumping duty probe to determine whether the fabricated structural steel is being imported from China, Canada, and Mexico below the fair value.
The fabricated structural steel under investigation is used for major building projects, including commercial, office and residential buildings, arenas, convention centers, parking decks, and ports.
This investigation has come as some U.S. lawmakers, car companies and Canada and Mexico have strongly urged the Trump administration to drop U.S. national security tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in the wake of a deal announced last year to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The DoC said that the new anti-dumping and countervailing duty probe is based on a petition filed earlier this month by a U.S. steel trade group. The department is investigating whether to seek duties of about 30% for Canada and Mexico and 222% for China in response to below-market price imports and the final determination for the probe is expected by the end of September.
The Commerce Department alleges there are 44 subsidy programs for Canadian fabricated structural steel, including tax programs, grant programs, loan programs, export insurance programs, and equity programs. There are also 26 subsidy programs for China and 19 subsidy programs for Mexico, according to the agency.
In 2017, imports of fabricated structural steel from Canada, China, and Mexico were valued at an estimated USD 658.3 million, USD 841.7 million, and USD 406.6 million, respectively. A preliminary determination on the issue is due from the International Trade Commission by 21 Mar’19.
Earlier this month, a Canadian steel industry group said it would strongly oppose a petition urging anti-dumping duty on certain steel imports from Canada.
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