USW joins petition for duties on welded API line pipe imports

The United Steelworkers (USW) union has joined a petition calling on the U.S. Commerce Department (DOC) and International Trade Commission (ITC) to impose antidumping and countervailing duties on welded API line pipe imports from South Korea and Turkey.

The union, along with steelmakers American Cast Iron Pipe Co., Energex, Maverick Tube Corp., Northwest Pipe Co., Stupp Corp., Tex-Tube Co., TMK IPSCO, and Welspun Tubular LLC USA, is calling for duties on carbon and alloy welded API line pipe up to 24 in. dia., a product often used in oil and natural gas pipelines. Imports of such products from the two countries were valued at $708 million in 2012 and $601 million in 2013.

"These countries are exploiting the growing oil and gas drilling industry in the U.S. to try to tilt the playing field in their direction," said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. "They are attempting to squeeze American companies out of this growing market by unfairly subsidizing their own steel producers and by forcing their products onto our shores at below-market prices.

"American workers and American steelmakers deserve to compete on a level playing field, and when our trade partners break the rules like this, we expect the ITC and the DOC to do what it takes to make sure that they play by the rules."

The ITC is expected to issue a preliminary determination by Dec. 1, while preliminary decisions from the DOC are likely by next spring.