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China Non-Malleable Pipe Fittings: Commerce Says Most of Beckett's Products in Scope

The Commerce Department found most of R.W. Beckett Corporation’s pipe fittings are covered by antidumping duty order on non-malleable cast iron pipe fittings from China (A-570-875), in a final scope ruling dated May 14. Of the 76 pipe fittings subject to the scope proceeding, only three were found to be excluded because they were made from aluminum and zinc alloys, instead of cast iron or gray iron.

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Beckett argued that its products are not specifically described in the scope, and so aren’t included. The company pointed to a sentence in the scope that says “the subject fittings include elbows, ells, tees, crosses, and reducers as well as flanged fittings.” Beckett’s products instead included vent caps, fill boxes and fill caps, extension couplings, bushings, square-head plugs, tank adapters, leg flanges, fill alarms, castings, and compression nuts.

But the listing of pipe fittings in the scope is not all-inclusive, Commerce said. “This language is illustrative and provides guidance to how subject merchandise could possibly be described, but is not limiting or binding,” it said. The scope does specifically exclude pipe fittings not made from cast iron or gray iron, so three of Beckett’s pipe fittings made from aluminum or zinc alloys are excluded, Commerce said. But the other 73 types of pipe fittings are in, the agency said.

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