*EPF417 04/26/01
Commerce Dept. Rules Hot-Rolled Steel Dumped on U.S. Market
(Magnesium, lumber, mussels dumping cases advanced) (510)
By Bruce Odessey
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The U.S. Department of Commerce has made preliminary determinations that imports of hot-rolled steel from 11 foreign markets have been dumped on the U.S. market.

The final Commerce determinations on the steel cases are expected in September.

Imposition of antidumping duties requires final affirmative determinations both from the Commerce Department that dumping occurred and from the USITC that the imports injured or threatened U.S. industry.

Dumping is the import of goods at a price below the home-market or a third-country price or below the cost of production. U.S. industries contending they are hurt by dumped imports can file a complaint with the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) seeking a ruling to impose duties on the dumped imports.

An April 24 Commerce fact sheet listed the following preliminary calculations for the imported steel's dumping margins -- the ratio showing by how much the fair-value price exceeds the dumped price:

-- Argentina: Siderar Saic, 44.59 percent; all others, 40.60 percent.

-- India: Essar Steel Ltd., 34.55 percent; Ispat Industries LTD, 39.36 percent; all others, 34.75 percent.

-- Indonesia: PT Krakatau Steel, 59.25 percent; all others, 59.25 percent.

-- Kazakhstan: Ispat Karmat, 239.57 percent; Kazakhstan-wide, 239.57 percent.

-- Netherlands: Corus, 2.44 percent; all others, 2.44 percent.

-- China: Angang, 64.77 percent; Baosteel Group, 40.74 percent; Benxi, 67.44 percent; Panzhihua Iron and Steel, 44.47 percent; Wuhan Iron and Steel, 44.47 percent; China-wide, 67.44 percent.

-- Romania: Sidex Trading, SRL and Sidex Int'l, Plc, 22.97 percent; Metanef, SA, 32.36 percent; Metagrimex, SA, 33.40 percent; Metalexportimport, SA, 25.60 percent; Romania-wide, 88.62 percent.

-- South Africa: Highveld, 9.28 percent; Iscor/Saldhana, 9.28 percent; all others, 9.28 percent.

-- Taiwan: China Steel/Yieh Loong, 29.14 percent; An Feng, 29.14 percent; all others, 20.28 percent.

-- Thailand: SSI, 7.48 percent; SSM, 20.30 percent; all others, 7.48 percent.

-- Ukraine: Ukraine-wide, 89.49 percent.

In one of a number of other dumping developments, the Commerce Department announced that it had made preliminary dumping determinations April 24 on imports of pure magnesium from China, Israel and Russia although it did not release the dumping margin calculations. The department said it expected that information to be published April 30 in the Federal Register.

In the latest development of a longstanding U.S.-Canada dispute, the department initiated April 23 dumping and countervailing duties investigations into imports of softwood lumber from Canada. Preliminary determinations by the USITC on injury to the U.S. lumber industry are expected by May 17. U.S. imports of softwood lumber from Canada in 2000 amounted to $6,379.3 million.

Finally, the USITC made a preliminary determination April 25 to continue a dumping investigation into mussels from Canada. By a 6-0 vote the commissioners found that evidence of injury to the U.S. industry sufficed at least to keep the investigation going.

(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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