FACT SHEET

Final Determinations in the Antidumping Duty Investigations on Certain Cold-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from Australia, India, Japan, Sweden and Thailand

On July 11, the Department of Commerce (the Department) announced its final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) investigations on imports of certain cold-rolled carbon steel flat products (cold rolled steel) from the above-mentioned countries.

Background: On September 28, 2001, U.S. producers of cold-rolled steel filed petitions with the Department of Commerce requesting the initiation of AD and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations. After reviewing the petitions to determine if the met the statutory requirements, the Department initiated these investigations on The International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its final injury determinations in these cases on August 26. If the ITC finds that imports were materially injuring, or threatening to materially injure, the domestic industry, then the Department will instruct the U.S. Customs Service to collect antidumping duties.

Critical Circumstances
As part of its final determinations, the Department has found that critical circumstances do exist for imports from Australia and India. If the ITC also finds that critical circumstances exist as part of its final injury determinations, antidumping duties would be assessed retroactively on cold rolled steel that entered on or after February 8, 2002 (90 days prior to the Department's publication of its preliminary determinations).

Other Ongoing Investigations
There are also AD and CVD investigations on imports of cold- rolled steel from Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, France (AD and CVD), Germany, the Republic of Korea (AD and CVD), the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Taiwan, and Venezuela. The final determinations in these investigations are currently scheduled for September 23.

Effect of Safeguard Action
Imports of cold rolled steel from Australia, Japan and Sweden are also subject to an initial tariff of 30 percent under the safeguard action on imports of steel¹. If these investigations go to order, then any subsequent duties would be imposed in addition to the tariffs imposed under Section 201. Imports of cold rolled steel from India and Thailand are excluded from the safeguard action due to those countries' developing country status.

Petitioners: Bethlehem Steel Corporation, LTV Steel Company, Inc., National Steel Corporation, Nucor Corporation, Steel Dynamics, Inc., United States Steel LLC., WCI Steel, Inc., and Weirton Steel Corporation. National Steel Corporation is not a petitioner in the Japan case, and Weirton Steel Corporation is not a petitioner in the Netherlands case. As of January 2002, LTV Steel Company, Inc. is no longer an active petitioner in these investigations.

 ¹ Imports of cold rolled steel from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan are subject to tariffs under the Section 201 relief. Excluded from 201 relief on the basis of their developing country status are Argentina, Brazil, India, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela.

Case Calendar:

Import Statistics: Volume and Value