Thomas Steel Strip Files AD Petition on Nickel-Plated Steel from Japan

According to the petition, nickel-plated steel is widely used in the manufacturing of battery cans and end-caps for alkaline batteries and lithium batteries, including primary and rechargeable batteries. It may also be used in applications such as automotive fuel lines, exhaust pipes, and mufflers, magnetic inner shields for computers, and appliances, Thomas said.

Thomas, whose ultimate parent company is Tata Steel Limited, has been the only U.S. producer of diffusion-annealed nickel-plated steel in the U.S. for ten years, it said. Another U.S. producer, Worthington, went out of business ten years ago, shortly after an International Trade Administration scope ruling found that some types of diffusion-annealed nickel-plated steel from Japan were not covered by the scope of the AD duty order on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products from Japan, the petition said.

Over the last several years, Thomas has been steadily losing business to Japanese producers selling the product at less than fair value, it said. The company has been particularly hit hard in competition for lucrative contracts for AA battery cases and end-caps. As a result, it is operating at a loss, and capacity utilization rates at its factories are falling.

Scope Includes CORE from Japan Exclusions

Diffusion-annealed nickel-plated steel was covered by the AD duty orders on corrosion-resistant carbon steel flat products (CORE) from Japan, but the ITA excluded several types of the product from the CORE order through scope rulings and changed circumstances reviews. The AD duty order on CORE from Japan was revoked in a sunset review in 2007. This petition by Thomas only seeks AD duties on types of nickel-plated steel that had been excluded from the CORE from Japan AD duty order before it was revoked, it said.

In its petition, Thomas requested the investigation cover the following products:

Flat-rolled, cold-reduced steel products, whether or not in coil, either plated or coated with nickel or nickel-based alloys by a process in which the base metal is plated with nickel or nickel-based alloys and subsequently annealed, whether or not also painted, varnished or coated with plastics or other metallic or nonmetallic substances.

Imports of merchandise intended to be included by the scope description above are primarily classified under headings 7212.50.0000 and 7210.90.6000, HTSUS, but may also be classified under headings 7210.90.6000 and 7212.50.0000, HTSUS, but may also be classified under headings 7210.70.6090, 7212.40.1000, 7212.40.5000, or 7219.90.0020, 7219.90.0025, 7219.90.0060, 7219.90.0080, 7220.90.0010, 7220.90.0015, 7225.90.0010, 7225.99.0090, or 7226.99.0180, HTSUS. The foregoing HTS subheadings are provided only for convenience and customs purposes. The written description of the scope is dispositive.

The ITA is accepting comments on domestic industry support for the petition to determine whether the petition meets the dual requirements of support by domestic producers or workers accounting for (1) at least 25% of the total production of the domestic like product and (2) more than 50% of the production of the domestic-like product produced by that portion of the industry expressing support for, or opposition to, the petition. If the petition meets these requirements, among others, the International Trade Administration will initiate an antidumping investigation of silica refractory bricks from China. Thomas claims that, as the only U.S. producer, it meets the domestic industry requirement. Comments are due by about April 17.

Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.