The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations of imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India.

“The United States will not sit back and watch as our domestic businesses are destroyed by unfair foreign government subsidies and dumping,” said Secretary Ross. “This Administration is taking fair and transparent action on behalf of American industry to defend businesses and workers while we continue reviewing the facts related to this decision.”

The Commerce Department preliminarily determined that exporters from China and India have sold stainless steel flanges in the United States at 257.11 percent, and 18.10 to 145.25 percent less than fair value, respectively.

As a result of today’s decision, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to collect cash deposits from importers of imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India based on these preliminary rates.

In 2016, imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India were valued at an estimated $16.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively.

The petitioners are the Coalition of American Flange Producers and its individual members: Core Pipe Products, Inc. (Carol Stream, IL) and Maass Flange Corporation (Houston, TX).

Enforcement of U.S. trade law is a prime focus of the Trump administration. From January 20, 2017, through March 20, 2018, the Commerce Department has initiated 102 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations – a 96 percent increase from January 20, 2016, through March 20, 2017.

The AD law provides U.S. businesses and workers with an internationally accepted mechanism to seek relief from the harmful effects of unfair pricing of imports into the United States. Commerce currently maintains 428 antidumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.

Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determinations in these investigations on or about June 5, 2018.

If Commerce makes affirmative final determinations of dumping and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) makes affirmative final injury determinations, Commerce will issue AD orders. If Commerce makes negative final determinations of dumping or the ITC makes negative final determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated and no orders will be issued.