USW Affirms Stainless Sheet & Strip Trade Case

U.S. Commerce Dept. Investigating Illegal Imports from China

Contacts: Gary Hubbard: (202) 256-8125; ghubbard@usw.org
                 Wayne Ranick:  (412) 562-2444; wranick@usw.org

Pittsburgh (Mar. 7) – The United Steelworkers (USW) affirmed the launch of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) of dumped and subsidized imports of stainless steel sheet and strip products from China that will determine the level of trade law violations for placement of duty orders.

Petitioners for the investigation are ATI Flat Rolled Products in Pennsylvania, AK Steel Corp. of Ohio, Outokumpu Stainless of Illinois, and North American Stainless in Kentucky.

Leo W. Gerard, USW International President said the union will be actively supporting the petitioner companies representing more than 3,000 steelworkers employed in making stainless sheet and strip alloy coils and straight length products.

“This latest steel industry trade case makes clear the volume of illegal dumping and subsidized products from China that’s being fought by the industry and our government.

“Our 2,200 steelworkers who make specialty metals products at ATI just ratified a new labor agreement after a six-month lockout and they don’t want to sustain more pain from seeing China unfairly steal the American market.”

According to Tom Conway, USW International Vice President, who led the union negotiations at ATI, “We’ve seen Chinese producers of unfairly subsidizing stainless sheet and strip in the U.S. at as much as 77 percent below fair value.” He related the 2015 import data of stainless steel sheet and strip from China were valued at an estimated $302 million.

The next step in the government investigation of the stainless import case will involve a public hearing by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and a preliminary injury determination on or before Mar. 28. Preliminary determination orders by the government are expected May 9 for anti-subsidy duties, and Jul. 21 for antidumping duties against China. 

The USDOC fact sheet and case calendar for the stainless sheet and strip trade case can be viewed at: Initiation of Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Investigations of Imports of Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip from China.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed in many industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service and public sectors.  For more information: http://www.usw.org/.

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