The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today determined whether revoking the existing countervailing duty order on certain pipe and tube from Turkey and the existing antidumping duty orders on certain pipe and tube from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.

Today's determinations concerned four products: (1) circular welded pipe and tube; (2) light- walled rectangular pipe and tube; (3) oil country tubular goods (OCTG) other than drill pipe; and (4) OCTG drill pipe.

The Commission made affirmative determinations with respect to circular welded pipe and tube from Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey; and light-walled rectangular pipe and tube from Argentina and Taiwan. As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations and the Department of Commerce's recent affirmative findings, the existing countervailing duty order and existing antidumping orders on imports of these products will remain in place.

The Commission made negative determinations with respect to circular welded pipe and tube from Venezuela; light-walled rectangular pipe and tube from Singapore; and OCTG, both drill pipe and other than drill pipe, from Canada and Taiwan. As a result of the Commission's negative determinations, the existing antidumping orders on these products will be revoked.

A breakout of the Commissioners' votes appears below:

With respect to imports of circular welded pipe and tube from Brazil, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, Chairman Stephen Koplan, Vice Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun, and Commissioners Lynn M. Bragg, Marcia E. Miller, Jennifer A. Hillman, and Thelma J. Askey voted in the affirmative. With respect to imports of these products from India and Turkey, Chairman Koplan, Vice Chairman Okun, and Commissioners Bragg, Miller, and Hillman voted in the affirmative; Commissioner Askey voted in the negative. With respect to imports of these products from Mexico, Chairman Koplan and Commissioners Bragg and Miller voted in the affirmative; Vice Chairman Okun and Commissioners Hillman and Askey voted in the negative. With respect of imports of these products from Venezuela, Chairman Koplan, Vice Chairman Okun, and Commissioners Miller, Hillman, and Askey voted in the negative; Commissioner Bragg voted in the affirmative.

With respect to light-walled rectangular pipe and tube from Argentina and Taiwan, Chairman Koplan, Vice Chairman Okun, and Commissioners Bragg, Miller, and Hillman voted in the affirmative; Commissioner Askey voted in the negative. With respect to light-walled rectangular pipe and tube from Singapore, Chairman Koplan, Vice Chairman Okun, and Commissioners Miller, Hillman, and Askey voted in the negative; Commissioner Bragg voted in the affirmative.

With respect to OCTG other than drill pipe from Canada and Taiwan, Chairman Koplan, Vice Chairman Okun, and Commissioners Miller, Hillman, and Askey voted in the negative; Commissioner Bragg voted in the affirmative.

With respect to OCTG drill pipe from Canada, Chairman Koplan, Vice Chairman Okun, and Commissioners Miller, Hillman, and Thelma J. Askey voted in the negative; Commissioner Bragg voted in the affirmative. With respect to drill pipe from Taiwan, all six commissioners voted in the negative.

Today's action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. See the attached page for background on these five-year (sunset) reviews.

The Commission's public report Certain Pipe and Tube from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela (Invs. Nos. 701-TA-253 (Review) and 731-TA-132, 252, 271, 273, 276-277, 296, 409-410, 532-534, and 536-537 (Review), USITC Publication 3316, June 2000) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.

Copies may be requested after July 17, 2000, by calling 202-205-1809 or by contacting the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by fax at 202-205-2104.

BACKGROUND

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act requires the Department of Commerce to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the Department of Commerce and the ITC determine that revoking the order or terminating the suspension agreement would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or subsidies (Commerce) and of material injury (ITC) within a reasonably foreseeable time. Reviews of outstanding antidumping and countervailing duty orders in existence as of January 1, 1995, began in July 1998.

The Commission's institution notice in five-year reviews requests that interested parties file responses with the Commission concerning the likely effects of revoking the order under review as well as other information. Generally within 95 days from institution, the Commission will determine whether the responses it has received reflect an adequate or inadequate level of interest in a full review. If responses to the ITC's notice of institution are adequate, or if other circumstances warrant a full review, the Commission conducts a full review, which includes a public hearing and issuance of questionnaires.

The Commission generally does not hold a hearing or conduct further investigative activities in expedited reviews. Commissioners base their injury determination in expedited reviews on the facts available, including the Commission's prior injury determination, responses received to its notice of institution, data collected by staff in connection with the review, and information provided by the Department of Commerce.

The five-year (sunset) reviews concerning Certain Pipe and Tube from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela were instituted on May 1, 1999.

On August 5, 1999, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews. With regard to welded carbon steel pipe and tube from Turkey; circular welded nonalloy steel pipe from Korea, Mexico, and Venezuela; and oil country tubular goods from Canada, Chairman Lynn M. Bragg, Vice Chairman Marcia E. Miller, and Commissioners Carol T. Crawford, Jennifer A. Hillman, Stephen Koplan, and Thelma J. Askey concluded that both the domestic and the respondent group responses for these reviews were adequate and voted for full reviews.

With regard to welded carbon steel pipe and tube from Thailand and India; circular welded nonalloy steel pipe from Brazil and Taiwan, and small diameter carbon steel pipe and tube from Taiwan, Chairman Bragg, Vice Chairman Miller, and Commissioners Crawford, Hillman, Koplan, and Askey concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group responses were inadequate, but that circumstances warranted full reviews.

With regard to small diameter standard and rectangular pipe and tube from Singapore and light-walled rectangular tube from Argentina and Taiwan, Vice Chairman Miller and Commissioners Hillman, Koplan, and Askey concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group responses were inadequate, but that circumstances warranted full reviews. Chairman Bragg concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group responses were inadequate and voted for expedited reviews. Commissioner Crawford concluded that both the domestic and the respondent group responses were inadequate and voted for expedited reviews.

With regard to oil country tubular goods from Taiwan, Chairman Bragg, Vice Chairman Miller, and Commissioners Hillman, Koplan, and Askey concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group response was inadequate, but that circumstances warranted a full review. Commissioner Crawford concluded that the domestic group response was adequate and the respondent group response was inadequate and voted for an expedited review.

Information concerning the reasons for the Commission's votes to conduct full reviews was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 1999. That notice and a record of the Commission's votes are posted on the ITC's Internet server at www.usitc.gov (under "Five- Year (Sunset) Reviews"/"Circular Welded Nonalloy Steel Pipe from Brazil," "Circular Welded Nonalloy Steel Pipe from Korea," "Circular Welded Nonalloy Steel Pipe from Mexico," "Circular Welded Nonalloy Steel Pipe from Taiwan," "Circular Welded Nonalloy Steel Pipe from Venezuela," "Light-walled Rectangular Tube from Argentina," "Light-walled Rectangular Tube from Taiwan," "Oil Country Tubular Goods from Canada," "Oil Country Tubular Goods from Taiwan," "Small Diameter Carbon Steel Pipe and Tube from Taiwan," "Small Diameter Standard and Rectangular Pipe and Tube from Singapore," "Welded Carbon Steel Pipe and Tube from India," "Welded Carbon Steel Pipe and Tube from Thailand," "Welded Carbon Steel Pipe and Tube from Turkey," and "Welded Carbon Steel Standard Pipe from Turkey (CVD)").

In addition, a record of the Commission's votes to conduct full reviews is available from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by telephone by calling 202-205-1802.