by Jeff Yoders on MAY 2, 2016

New investigations of cut-to-length steel plate from several countries were announced Friday and the Texas Supreme Court rejected a new law that, the court said, preceded the state’s authority to enforce its own air quality laws.

Steel Plate Anti-Dumping Investigation

The Commerce Department has initiated anti-dumping duty investigations of imports of carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, and Turkey and countervailing duty Investigations of imports of carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from Brazil, China, and Korea.

The petitioners are ArcelorMittal USA LLC, Nucor Corporation and SSAB Enterprises, LLC. The products covered by these investigations include carbon and alloy steel hot-rolled or forged flat plate products (not in coils), whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other non-metallic substances (cut-to-length plate).

Texas Supreme Court Rejects Houston Air Quality Law

The Texas Supreme Court said Friday that the heart of a Houston air quality law is preempted by the state’s Clean Air Act, handing a victory to an industry group including ExxonMobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips.

Attorneys for the city of Houston argued that the city was simply trying to enforce the standards set out by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, a state agency, by putting in place a parallel enforcement mechanism that would impose fines on the companies even if the Commission chose not to act.

In an 8-1 ruling, the justices made it clear that they disagreed, writing that if the Commission chose not to enforce any given law, that did not clear the way for Houston authorities to do so.

Source: MetalMiner