Antidumping Duty Petition Filed on Prestressed Rail Tie Wire From China, Mexico, and Thailand
Davis Wire Corporation and Insteel Wire Products filed petitions April 23 with the Commerce Department and International Trade Commission requesting antidumping duties be imposed on prestressed concrete steel rail tie wire from China, Mexico, and Thailand (A-570-989, A-201-843, A-549-829). According to the two companies, imports of the product have increased their U.S. market share by undercutting domestic prices, which in turn has eroded the finances of U.S. producers. Domestic industry is both materially injured and threatened by injury from dumped imports, they said.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
Product Definition and Proposed Scope
The subject merchandise is high carbon steel wire used as prestressed tendons in concrete railroad ties. Ties containing the wire are primarily used in Class I railways, commuter rail lines, and high speed rail lines, the petitioners said. The petitioners’ proposed scope of the investigation is as follows:
“The product covered by this investigation is high carbon steel wire, stress relieved or low relaxation, indented or otherwise deformed, meeting at a minimum the American Society for Testing Materials ("ASTM") A881/ A881 M specification, regardless of shape, size, or other alloy element levels, suitable for use as prestressed tendons in concrete railroad ties ("PC tie wire"). High carbon steel is defined as steel that contains 0.6 percent or more of carbon by weight.
“PC tie wire is classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading 7217.10.8045, but may also be classified under subheadings 7217.10.7000, 7217.10.8025, 7217.10.8030, 7217.10.9000, 7229.90.1000, 7229.90.5016, 7229.90.5031, 7229.90.5051, and 7229.90.9000. Although the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of the investigation is dispositive.”
Alleged Dumping Margins of 54.04 to 156.52 Percent
The petitioners alleged dumping margins of 54.43 percent for Thai exporter The Siam Industrial Wire Co., Ltd.; 54.04 percent for Chinese exporter Wuxi Jinyang Metal Products Co., Ltd.; and 156.52 percent for Mexican exporter Aceros Camesa, S.A. de C.V.
ITA Accepting Comments on Petition Support
The Commerce Department 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, Commerce will initiate an antidumping investigation of silica refractory bricks from China. The petitioners claim that, as the only U.S. producers, they meet the domestic industry requirement. Comments are due by about May 13.
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.