The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) today determined that an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of certain structural steel beams from Korea that the Department of Commerce has determined are subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.

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.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will direct the U.S. Customs Service to impose countervailing and antidumping duties on imports of certain structural steel beams from Korea.

The Commission's public report Certain Structural Steel Beams from Korea (Investigations Nos. 701-TA-401 (Final) and 731-TA-854 (Final), USITC Publication 3326, August 2000) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

Copies may be obtained after August 28, 2000, by calling 202-205-1809 or from the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be made by fax to 202-205-2104.

Product Description: Structural steel beams are principally load-bearing support members for a wide range of applications. Those subject to these investigations are distinguished by doubly symmetrical cross-sections, being commonly referred to as wide-flange beams, bearing or H- piles, standard or I-beams, and M-sections. Cross-sectional dimensions range from 3.2 inches to 40 inches, and weights do not exceed 400 pounds per foot of length. These beams are hot- or cold-rolled, drawn, or extruded from carbon steel, high-strength low alloy steel, or alloy steel (excluding stainless steel). Major end users of structural steel beams are fabricators that produce structural assemblies for construction applications (e.g., buildings, bridges, towers, and pre-manufactured residential housing), and certain original-equipment manufacturers that build ships and railroad rolling stock, among other products.

Status of Proceedings:
    1. Type of investigations:  Final countervailing duty and antidumping duty.
    2. Petitioners:  Northwestern Steel & Wire Co., Nucor-Yamato Steel Co., TXI-
         Chaparral Steel, Inc., and The United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO.
    3. Investigations instituted by USITC:  July 7, 1999.
    4. Hearing:  April 25, 2000.
    5. USITC vote:  July 13, 2000.
    6. USITC notification of Department of Commerce:  August 7, 2000.

U.S. Industry:
    1. Number of domestic producers in 1999:  Eight.
    2. Location of producers' plants:  Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky,
         Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
    3. Employment of production and related workers in 1999:  2,341.
    4. U.S. producers' shipments in 1999:  3,864,505 short tons.
    5. U.S. consumption in 1999:  4,646,749 short tons.
    6. Ratio of quantity of shipments of imports from all sources to 
         U.S. consumption in 1999:  16.8 percent.
    7. Ratio of quantity of shipments of subject imports to
         U.S. consumption in 1999: 5.4 percent.

U.S. Imports:
    1. Quantity of subject imports in 1999:  252,196 short tons.
    2. Value of subject imports in 1999:  $67,412,000.