WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday it had imposed preliminary duties ranging from 10.90 percent to 30.69 percent on $2.6 billion of steel pipe from China used to transport oil.
The decision in the case brought by the United Steelworkers union, U.S. Steel, Maverick Tube Corp., and other manufacturers comes as President Barack Obama faces a Sept. 17 deadline to decide whether to restrict tire imports from China.
The trade case against Chinese-made 'oil country tubular goods' is one of the biggest in recent years. Imports of the product from China increased 203 percent from 2006 to 2008, the Commerce Department said.
The preliminary 'countervailing' duties imposed on Wednesday are to offset Chinese government subsidies.
The Commerce Department also is investigating a second complaint brought by U.S. producers and the steelworkers union that Chinese producers are 'dumping' the pipe in the United States at unfairly low prices.
That could lead to anti-dumping duties ranging from 36.94 percent to 99.14 percent, on top of the preliminary countervailing duties announced on Wednesday. A decision in the anti-dumping investigation is due by November 5.
(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Philip Barbara) Keywords: USA CHINA/STEEL (doug.palmer@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 898 8341; Reuters Messaging: doug.palmer.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The decision in the case brought by the United Steelworkers union, U.S. Steel, Maverick Tube Corp., and other manufacturers comes as President Barack Obama faces a Sept. 17 deadline to decide whether to restrict tire imports from China.
The trade case against Chinese-made 'oil country tubular goods' is one of the biggest in recent years. Imports of the product from China increased 203 percent from 2006 to 2008, the Commerce Department said.
The preliminary 'countervailing' duties imposed on Wednesday are to offset Chinese government subsidies.
The Commerce Department also is investigating a second complaint brought by U.S. producers and the steelworkers union that Chinese producers are 'dumping' the pipe in the United States at unfairly low prices.
That could lead to anti-dumping duties ranging from 36.94 percent to 99.14 percent, on top of the preliminary countervailing duties announced on Wednesday. A decision in the anti-dumping investigation is due by November 5.
(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Philip Barbara) Keywords: USA CHINA/STEEL (doug.palmer@thomsonreuters.com; +1 202 898 8341; Reuters Messaging: doug.palmer.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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