US slaps duties on China, Mexico fabricated steel

The US placed preliminary antidumping duties on imports of certain fabricated structural steel of up to 141pc from China and up to 31pc from Mexico.

For China, the US Department of Commerce yesterday assigned preliminary dumping rates of 58pc on Jinhuan Construction Group, 52pc to Wison Heavy Industry/Wison Offshore and Marine, 56pc to separate rate companies and 141pc for all other producers and exporters. China's Modern Heavy Industries received no dumping rates.

US imports of fabricated structural steel from China totaled 421,383t in 2018, down by 6pc from 2017, according to the Commerce Department.

For Mexico, the US assigned dumping rates of 11pc for Building Systems de Mexico and 31pc for all non-responsive companies. All other Mexican exporters received dumping rates of 11pc.

Imports from Mexico climbed by 45pc from 2017 to 290,007t in 2018.

Imports from Canada were found to not have been dumped during the Department of Commerce's preliminary investigation. The US investigated Canadian suppliers Canatal Industries and Les Constructions Beauce-Atlas.

Commerce defined fabricated structural steel is made for use in buildings and other structures, such as angles, beams, girders, plates and others, that have been manufactured in some way by welding, joining, bolting or similar.

Domestic steel market participants have flagged fabricated steel imports as a potential way for exporters to avoid the US 25pc Section 232 tariff on steel.

The US in July implemented preliminary countervailing duties on fabricated structural steel imports from China and Mexico.

Commerce will make final determinations in the antidumping investigations on or about 24 January 2020.