The US Department of Commerce (DOC) on March 27 announced itspreliminary determinations in the countervailing duty investigations ofimports of circular welded carbon steel pipe from some countries,including Vietnam .

According to the investigations, twoVietnamese companies, namely Haiphong Hongyuan Machinery Manufactory Co.Ltd. and SeAH Steel Vina Corp., enjoyed preliminary net subsidy ratesof 8.06 percent and 0.04 percent, respectively.

Thepreliminary determinations were made on investigations conducted by theDOC after the US International Trade Commission (USITC) approvedpetitions from four US steel pipe companies in December, 2011.

The petitioners, including Allied Tube and Conduit, JMC Steel Group,Wheat Tube and United States Steel Corporation, said that welded carbonsteel pipes with an outside diameter not more than 16 inches importedfrom some countries have been sold at unusually low prices since 2008,thanks to government subsidies, making these companies uncompetitive intheir home market.

At present, a total of 40 steel pipe exporters to the US are being sued.


Final determinations on steel pipe imported from Vietnam and other countries are expected in August, 2012.


The US annually imports 50.1 million USD of steel pipes from Vietnam.-VNA