The following is another entry from the AISI’s Daily Media Report.

US mills have prevailed in a duty circumvention case against Chinese plate, Steel Business Briefing has learned.

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) made the final determination that Chinese companies have been circumventing US antidumping duties of 30-128.59% by adding insignificant amounts of boron to plate to change the tariff classification from non-alloy to alloy steel.

Although the case began last year investigating imports from Wuyang Iron and Steel Co and the UK-based trading company Stemcor, Commerce is applying the ruling to all Chinese plate imports with at least 0.0008% boron content regardless of the manufacturer, exporter or importer involved.

Cash deposits to pay for the duties are already required and are retroactive to April 2010, SBB understands.

The US mills who requested the duty circumvention case in 2010 included Nucor, SSAB North America, Evraz Claymont, Evraz Oregon and ArcelorMittal USA. Nucor and ArcelorMittal USA were actively involved in the case, having submitted case briefs and rebuttal briefs, according to a DOC document.

“We are pleased to hear that the Commerce Department has taken action on what is one of the oldest tricks on the book, trying to slightly modify the chemistry of a product to evade antidumping orders,” commented Thomas Gibson, president of the American Iron and Steel Institute. “This is a clear victory for US plate producers.”