Letter to Irving Williamson, Chairman U.S. International Trade Commission - Import Duties

Letter

In a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) urged the agency to place import duties on Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Pipe from India, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Several Ohio steel producers, including Wheatland Tube in Warren and JMC Steel in Cambridge, will be affected by the ITC's decision.

"These unfairly traded imports have led to significant losses of market share and employment for the domestic industry despite a slow recovery in demand as we exited the recession," the senators wrote. "These companies and their employees in Ohio, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania have fought long and hard to compete on a level playing field. We must ensure U.S. trade laws are properly enforced and wrongdoing is aggressively penalized."

The letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission was also signed by Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), John Boozman (R-AR), and Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA).

The Honorable Irving Williamson

Chairman

U.S. International Trade Commission

500 E Street, SW

Washington, DC 20436

Dear Chairman Williamson:

We write to you regarding the final anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigation on Circular Welded Carbon-Quality Steel Pipe from India, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. We ask that this letter be included in the hearing record.

Our states are home to a number of steel pipe and tube producers that have challenged unfairly traded imports of dumped and subsidized products from an array of countries over the past decade. We remain concerned that the presence of unfairly traded imports of circular welded steel pipe products from India, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam have limited the ability of domestic companies to compete in the global trade arena. We understand that imported pipe has entered the U.S. at prices less than fair value due to the benefit from government subsidies. Further, we also understand as stated in the public record that these imports have undersold the U.S. industry and depressed U.S. prices.

These unfairly traded imports have led to significant losses of market share and employment for the domestic industry despite a slow recovery in demand as we exited the recession. We remain concerned that in this extremely unstable economic environment that it is essential that relief be provided to an industry and workforce that has been injured by unfair trade practices. These companies and their employees in Ohio, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania have fought long and hard to compete on a level playing field. We must ensure U.S. trade laws are properly enforced and wrongdoing is aggressively penalized.

Thank you for providing us the opportunity to submit these comments for the record.