Global Geopolitical Series: U.S. slaps hefty CVD on exporters of large diameter welded pipes from China, India, Korea, and Turkey after preliminary investigations

Last night, U.S. Commerce Department announced that it would be imposing countervailing duties on exporters of large diameter welded pipes from China, India, Korea, and Turkey after it ended its preliminary investigation, which was initiated based on petition filed by a group of companies; American Cast Iron Pipe Company (Birmingham, AL), Berg Steel Pipe Corp. (Panama City, FL), Berg Spiral Pipe Corp. (Mobile, AL), Dura-Bond Industries (Steelton, PA), Greens Bayou Pipe Mill, LP (Houston, TX), JSW Steel (USA) Inc. (Baytown, TX), Skyline Steel (Parsippany, NJ), Stupp Corporation (Baton Rouge, LA), and Trinity Products LLC (Fallon, MO).

Below are the rates based on which U.S. customs and border protection agency (CBP) will collect cash deposits from importers of the above material,

• China – 198.49 percent
• India – 541.15 percent
• Korea – 0.01 (de minimis) to 3.31 percent
• Turkey – 1.08 to 3.76 percent 

According to the department’s calculations, the imports of the pipes were valued at $29.2 million from China, $294.7 million from India, $150.9 million from Korea, and $57.3 million from Turkey.

The Commerce Department has significantly stepped up AD & CVD (Countervailing duties) investigations and actions under the Trump administration. The number of investigations initiated and settled is 59 percent more than the previous administration.