US imposes steep import duties on Chinese cold-rolled flat steel

Washington

THE United States slapped Chinese steelmakers with final import duties of 522 per cent on cold-rolled flat steel on Tuesday after finding that their products were being sold in the US market below cost and with unfair subsidies.

The US Commerce Department said the duties will effectively increase by more than five-fold the import prices on Chinese-made cold-rolled flat steel products, which totalled US$272.3 million in 2015. Cold-rolled steel is primarily used in automotive body panels, appliances, shipping containers and construction.