US Commerce Dept says six countries dumped welded pipe in US market

[WASHINGTON] The US Commerce Department said on Tuesday it had made a preliminary determination that large-diameter welded pipe from Canada, China, Greece, India, South Korea and Turkey was being dumped in the US market.

The department said it found that the pipe, which is typically used to build oil and gas pipelines, was being sold at less than fair value at rates ranging from 3.45 per cent to 132.63 per cent.

In June, the department had made an initial finding that imports of the pipe from four of the countries - China, India, South Korea and Turkey - were being unfairly subsidized. It imposed preliminary duties that in the case of India ranged up to more than 500 per cent.

In its announcement on Tuesday, it said imports of the pipe from Canada were being dumped at a rate of 24.38 per cent; from China at 132.63 per cent; from Greece at 22.51 per cent; from India at 50.55 per cent; from Korea ranging from 14.97 per cent to 22.21 per cent; and from Turkey ranging from 3.45 per cent to 5.29 per cent.

Imports of the pipe from those six countries were valued at more than US$720 million last year, the department said.

The US probe into the imports was launched in March after a petition from a group of privately held US producers. The probe covers welded carbon and alloy steel pipe larger than 16 inches (406.4 mm) in diameter.

REUTERS