Domestic Coalition Requests New AD/CV Duties on Stainless Steel Flanges From China and India
A coalition of domestic manufacturers filed a petition on Aug. 16 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping and countervailing duties on stainless steel flanges from China and India. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on stainless steel flanges that could eventually result in the assessment of AD/CV duties. The coalition that requested the duties, known as the Coalition of American Flange Producers, includes as individual members Maass Flange Corporation and Core Pipe Products.
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AD duty orders on stainless steel flanges from India and Taiwan had been in place from 1994 to 2011. Those orders were revoked by way of sunset review. There are currently no AD or CV duty orders on imports of stainless steel flanges, though AD and CV duty orders are imminent on carbon steel flanges from India and Italy (see 1707310019).
Proposed Scope
The petition proposes the following scope for the investigations:
The products covered by this investigation are certain forged stainless steel flanges, whether unfinished, semi-finished or finished, generally manufactured to the material specification of ASTM/ASME A/SA182, and made in alloys such as, but not limited to, 304, 304L, 316 and 316L (or combinations thereof). The scope includes six general types of flanges. They are: (1) weld neck, used in butt-weld line connection; (2) threaded, used for threaded line connections; (3) slip-on, used to slide over pipe; (4) lap joint, used with stub-ends/but-weld line connections; (5) socket weld, used to fit pipe into a machine recession; and (6) blind, used to seal off a line. The sizes and descriptions of the flanges within the scope include all pressure classes of ASME B16.5 and range from one-half inch to twenty-four inches nominal pipe size. Specifically excluded from the scope of these orders are cast stainless steel flanges. Cast stainless steel flanges generally are manufactured to specification ASTM A351.
Unfinished stainless steel flanges possess the approximate shape of finished stainless steel flanges and have not yet been machined to final specification after the initial casting, forging or like operations. These machining processes may include boring, facing, spot facing, drilling, tapering, threading, beveling, heating or compressing.
The country of origin for certain forged stainless steel flanges, whether unfinished, semi-finished or finished is the country where the flange was forged. Subject merchandise includes stainless steel flanges as defined above that have been further processed in a third country, including but not limited to processing such as boring, facing, spot facing, drilling, tapering, threading, beveling, heating or compressing, or any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigations if performed in the country of manufacture of the stainless steel flanges.
Merchandise subject to the investigation is typically imported under headings 7307.21.1000 and 7301.21.5000 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). While HTS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope is dispositive.
Commerce Accepting Comments on Petition Support
The Commerce Department is accepting comments on domestic industry support for the petitions to determine whether the petitions meet 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 petitions meet these requirements, among others, Commerce will initiate antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Comments are due by Sept. 5.
Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the petition.