by Jeff Yoders on FEBRUARY 3, 2017

Yesterday, the Department of Commerce placed final, affirmative anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China.

Commerce found that dumping  occurred by mandatory respondents Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co., Ltd. and Tianjin Taigang Daming Metal Product Co., Ltd. Commerce also determined that the mandatory respondents are not eligible for a separate rate and, therefore, part of the China-wide entity.

Commerce calculated a final dumping margin of 63.86% for the non-China-wide respondents eligible for a separate rate. Commerce assigned a dumping margin of 76.64% based on adverse facts available for all other producers/exporters in China that are part of the China-wide entity due to their failure to respond to Commerce’s requests for information.

Commerce also calculated a final subsidy rate of 75.6% for mandatory respondent Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co. Ltd. (and its cross-owned companies TPCO Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Precision Strip Co., Ltd., Taigang Group), International Economic and Trade Co., Ltd., Shanxi Taigang Wanbang Furnace Burden Co., Ltd., TISCO Metal Recycle Co., Ltd., TISCO Mining Branch, Shanxi Taigang Xinlei Resource Co., Ltd., and Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. colloquially known as TISCO).

Mandatory respondents Ningbo Baoxin Stainless Steel Co., Ltd. (and its cross-owned companies Baosteel Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Baosteel Desheng Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., Baosteel Co., Ltd., Bayi Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Ningbo Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Shaoguan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Guangdong Shaoguan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., and Zhanjiang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. and Daming International Import Export Co. Ltd. (and its cross-owned company Tianjin Taigang Daming Metal Product Co., Ltd.) either notified Commerce that they would not participate in this investigation or did not, in fact, participate in the investigation. As a result, Commerce calculated a final subsidy rate of 190.71% based on adverse facts available due to the failure of these companies to cooperate in the investigation. All other producers/exporters in China have been assigned a final subsidy rate of 75.60%.

The petitioners for these investigations are AK Steel Corporation, Allegheny Ludlum, LLC d/b/a ATI Flat Rolled Products, North American Stainless, and Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect cash deposits equal to the applicable final weighted-average to the dumping margins. Commerce will not order the resumption of the suspension of liquidation under the countervailing duties proceeding, nor will it require cash deposits equal to the final subsidy rates, unless and until the U.S. International Trade Commission issues an affirmative injury determination. At that time, Commerce will also reduce the anti-dumping cash deposit rates by the amount of the final countervailing duty domestic subsidy pass-through and export subsidies (18.60%). In the event of a negative ITC determination, the anti-dumping and countervailing duty proceedings will be terminated and all entries liquidated without regard to cash deposits.