For Immediate Release: January 16, 2008
Contact: Brittany Eck   (202) 482-3809

COMMERCE FINDS UNFAIR DUMPING OF CERTAIN STEEL NAILS FROM CHINA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced its affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty investigations on imports of steel nails from the People’s Republic of China (China) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Commerce determined that Chinese and UAE producers/exporters sold certain steel nails in the United States at 20.77 to 118.04 percent and 4.47 percent less than fair value, respectively.

“Price discrimination hurts American manufacturers,” said Assistant Secretary for Import Administration David Spooner. “The Administration is committed to aggressively enforcing America's trade remedy laws in order to achieve strong and fair relationship s with our trading partners. ”

The merchandise covered by these investigations is certain steel nails, having a shaft length of up to 12 inches. Certain steel nails are produced from various grades of steel and principally used to fasten two pieces of material, such as wood or other solid building material. Nails that are subject to these investigations have a variety of finishes, heads, shanks, points, and sizes.

Mid Continent Nail Corporation (MO); Davis Wire Corporation (CA); Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation (Atlas Steel & Wire Division) (FL); Maze Nails (Division of W.H. Maze Company) (IL); Treasure Coast Fasteners, Inc. (FL); and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (PA) are the petitioners for these investigations.

Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair value. As a result of these preliminary determinations, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to suspend liquidation of entries of subject merchandise and to collect a cash deposit or bond based on the preliminary rates.

For more information about Import Administration or for the fact sheet on today’s decision, please visit www.trade.gov/ia.

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