wiredInUSA May 2017

Four US steel producers have sought antidumping duties on carbon and alloy wire rod imports from Belarus, Italy, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE and the UK. In a statement for the companies, Gerdau Long Steel North America, Nucor, Keystone Consolidated Industries and Charter Steel have also requested countervailing duty investigations of the wire rod sector in Italy and Turkey. The mills allege dumping margins ranging from 21.64 percent (Ukraine) to 821.4 percent (Russia). “The substantial increase in low-priced and unfairly traded carbon and alloy steel wire rod from the [ten] subject countries since 2014 has injured American manufacturers and their workers,” said Paul Rosenthal of Kelley Drye & Warren, counsel for Gerdau, Keystone and Charter Steel. In 2014, the US mills won antidumping duties of 106.19 percent to 110.25 percent, and countervailing duties on Chinese wire rod imports. “They were a major supplier. Once you address a major supplier it’s not all that unusual for others to take advantage of an opportunity in the marketplace,” commented Kathleen Cannon, a Kelley Drye attorney, adding that the US wire rod mills are “experienced in this arena” of fighting for unfair trade relief. US Department of Commerce will determine within 20 days of the request whether or not to initiate the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.

Scrutiny for wire importers

wiredInUSA - May 2017

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