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Petition Filed for New AD/CV Duties on Non-Refillable Cylinders From China

A U.S. manufacturer seeks the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on non-refillable cylinders from China, it said in a petition filed with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission March 26. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CV duty orders and the assessment of AD and CV duties on importers.

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Worthington Industries filed the petition. The requested investigations would generally cover portable steel vessels designed to store, transport, and deliver compressed or liquefied gases and other materials in a wide variety of end-use applications, including refrigerant gases for refrigeration and air conditioning applications; helium for balloons (retail and commercial), gases for medical and industrial applications; and other materials such as foam insulation and sealant for residential and commercial construction applications, and adhesives.

Proposed Scope

The petition proposes the following scope for the investigations:

The merchandise covered by these petitions is certain nonrefillable steel cylinders meeting the requirements of, or produced to meet the requirements of, U.S. Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) Specifications 39, TransportCanada Specification 39M, or United Nations pressure receptacle standard ISO 11118 and otherwise meeting the description provided below (“nonrefillable steel cylinders”). The subject non-refillable steel cylinders are portable and range from 300-cubic inch (4.9 liter) water capacity to 1,526-cubic inch (25 liter) water capacity. Subject non-refillable steel cylinders may be imported with or without a valve and/or pressure release device and may be filled or unfilled at the time of importation.

Specifically excluded are seamless non-refillable steel cylinders.

Also excluded from the scope of these petitions are non-refillable steel cylinders filled at the time of importation whose content is subject to another antidumping and/or countervailing duty order. At the time of filing this petition, there are existing antidumping duty orders on Hydrofluorocarbon Blends from the People's Republic of China and 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) from the People's Republic of China. See Hydrofluorocarbon Blends From the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 81 Fed. Reg. 55,436 (Dep't Commerce Aug. 19, 2016); 1,1,1,2-Tetraflouroethane (R-134a) from the People's Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 82 Fed. Reg. 18,422 (Dep't Commerce Apr. 19, 2017). In the case of non-refillable steel cylinders entering the United States filled with merchandise covered by the scope of these orders or future antidumping and/or countervailing duty orders covering the gas or material content of the nonrefillable steel cylinders, such other orders control. In the case of non-refillable steel cylinders entering the United States filled with merchandise not covered by the scope of any other antidumping and/or countervailing duty order, the scope of this petition controls.

The merchandise subject to these petitions is properly classified under statistical reporting numbers 7311.00.0060 and 7311.00.0090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The merchandise may also under HTSUS statistical reporting number 7310.29.0025. Although the HTSUS statistical reporting numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise 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 on or about April 15.

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