U.S. decides to levy punitive duties on cold-rolled steel products from China, Japan

The U.S. trade authority ruled Wednesday that a U.S. industry is "materially injured" by imports of cold-rolled steel flat products from China and Japan, which means the U.S. government will impose punitive duties on the products.

All six commissioners of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) voted in the affirmative, saying "a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of cold-rolled steel flat products from China and Japan" that are allegedly subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.

As a result of the commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Commerce Department will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of these products from China and antidumping orders on imports of these products from Japan.

For products from China, the antidumping duty rate is 265.79 percent and the countervailing duty rate is 256.44 percent, according to the Commerce Department's final determination in May 2016.

In 2015, imports of these products from China and Japan under investigation were estimated at about 272.3 million U.S. dollars and 138.6 million dollars, respectively, according to U.S. official data.

On the same day, the U.S. Commerce Department said that imports of hydrofluorocarbon blends and single hydrofluorocarbon components from China have been sold in the United States at dumping margins of 101.82 percent and 216.37 percent in its final determination.

As the refrigerant in residential and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration applications, the United States imported the above products from China at about 165 million dollars in 2015, according to the U.S. official data.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly urged the United States to abide by its commitment against trade protectionism and work together with China and other members of the international community to maintain a free, open and just international trade environment. Endi