*EPF412 07/13/00
USITC Approves Antidumping Duties for Korean Structural Steel
(Duties voted for Mexican, Romanian, Czech steel pipe) (320)
Washington -- The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to impose antidumping duties on structural steel from South Korea and on steel pipe from Mexico, Romania and the Czech Republic.
In the structural steel case, the commissioners voted 6-0 July 13 that the imports injured or threatened U.S. industry.
Imposition of antidumping duties requires affirmative final determinations both from the U.S. Department of Commerce on dumping and from the USITC on injury.
The Commerce Department announced its determination June 28, calculating the dumping margins as follows: Inchon Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., 25.51 percent; Kangwon Industries, Ltd., 49.73 percent; all others, 37.72 percent.
The USITC commissioners' vote also imposed countervailing duties against subsidies paid by the Korean government to its structural steel producers. The Commerce Department had calculated the net subsidy rates as follows: Inchon, 0.15 percent; Kangwon, 3.88 percent; DSM, 1.34 percent; all others, 3.87 percent.
In 1998 U.S. imports of structural steel beams from Korea amounted to $122.9 million.
The commissioners voted also July 13 to impose antidumping duties on large-diameter steel pipe from Mexico; in June Commerce had calculated the dumping margin at 19.65 percent.
And they voted to impose antidumping duties on small-diameter pipe from Romania and the Czech Republic. Commerce had calculated the dumping margins as follows:
-- Romania: Metal Business International S.R.L., 11.08 percent; Sota Communications Company, 19.11 percent; all others, 14.99 percent.
-- Czech Republic: Nova Hut, a.s., 39.93 percent; all others, 32.26 percent.
Dumping is the export of goods below the price in the home market or a third market or below the cost of production. A subsidy is a grant conferred on a producer by a government.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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