U.S. International Trade Commission Extends Trade Relief on Hot-Rolled Steel Products from China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Ukraine

In an important victory for U.S. steel producers, the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to extend the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders covering hot-rolled steel from China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Ukraine for an additional five years.  The ITC made its decision in the second five-year “sunset” review covering these products.  In such reviews, the ITC determines whether the termination of AD and CVD orders would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of material injury to the domestic industry.  After conducting a full investigation regarding the six countries under review, the ITC determined that revocation of any of the six orders would likely result in material injury to the domestic industry.

Today’s vote confirms that the U.S. steel industry remains vulnerable to the harmful effects of imports of unlawfully priced hot-rolled steel.  By voting to extend the unfair trade relief covering hot-rolled steel from China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Ukraine, the Commission is sending a clear message that all countries must play by the rules of international trade and will be held accountable for failure to do so.

Alan H. Price, head of Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice and counsel to Nucor Corporation, stated that “We are very pleased by the Commission’s determination that revocation of the orders on all six countries would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of material injury to the domestic industry.”  He went on to state that “The Commission’s vote confirms that each of these countries has the incentive and ability to ship injurious volumes of hot-rolled steel to the U.S. market, and would quickly re-injure the domestic industry in the absence of the orders.”

Prior to today’s vote, the United States Department of Commerce had determined, in a separate proceeding, that producers in China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Ukraine would resume selling merchandise at less than its fair value and with the benefit of subsidies if the orders were revoked.