THE PHILIPPINES and seven other countries have been found to be engaging in the dumping of steel pipes, documents from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) showed.

Results of preliminary investigations conducted by the US Department of Commerce from July-June 2013 showed that the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Turkey and Ukraine were selling oil country tubular goods (OCTG) -- used by oil and natural gas producers -- at unfairly low prices.

Chinese metal pipe manufacturer HLD Clark Steel Pipe Co., Inc., based in Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga, was identified as the Philippine exporter engaged in the practice with an average weighted dumping margin of 8.9%, documents posted on the USTR website stated.

"The merchandise covered by the investigation is certain oil country tubular goods, which are hollow steel products of circular cross-section, including oil well casing and tubing, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether seamless or welded, regardless of end finish (e.g., whether or not plain end, threaded, or threaded and coupled) whether or not conforming to American Petroleum Institute (API) or non-API specifications, whether finished (including limited service OCTG products) or unfinished (including green tubes and limited service OCTG products), whether or not thread protectors are attached," the USTR said, adding: "The scope of the investigation also covers OCTG coupling stock."

"Interested parties who wish to request a hearing, or to participate if one is requested, must submit a written request to the Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce... within 30 days after the date of publication of this notice."

Sought for comment, the Bureau of Import Services Director Luis M. Catibayan said: "Since a Philippine exporter is affected by US anti-dumping investigation, we will work with the said exporter through their counsel to submit our views in support of our exporter’s interests."A statement was not immediately available from HLD Clark.

Nine US manufacturers -- Boomerang Tube LLC, Energex Tube, Maveric Tube Corp., Northwest Pipe Co., Tejas Tubular Products, Inc., TMK IPSCO, Inc., Vallourec Star L.P., Welded Tube USA, Inc., and United States Steel Corp. -- had complained that the local US steel industry was being hurt by cheaper imports.

South Korea was also tagged by the US firms as engaging in steel pipe dumping but the preliminary probe found no basis for the claim.

US International Trade Administration data valued 2013 OCTG imports from India, Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam at $174.4 million, $818 million, $54.5 million, $71.5 million, $79.5 million, $37 million, $107.5 million, $87.3 million, and $110.2 million, respectively.

The Philippine-made goods amounted to 66,500 metric tons (MT), more than triple the 21,700 MT worth $19.8 million shipped in 2011.

The US Department of Commerce is expected to announce its formal findings by July.

A final injury determination will be made by the US International Trade Commission in August.

Source: Bworldonline