DOC Makes Preliminary Affirmative Determination in Cast Iron Soil Pipe Probe

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Tuesday that it had made a preliminary affirmative determination in its countervailing duty investigation of cast iron soil pipe imports from China.
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The department calculated countervailing subsidies ranging from 13.11-111.20%.
The 13.11% rate was applied to Yuncheng Jiangxian Economic Development Zone HengTong Casting Co. Ltd. The 111.20% rate was applied to Kingway Pipe Co., Ltd. “based on adverse facts available.”
The 13.11% benchmark was also applied to all other Chinese producers and exporters.
The petitioner in the case is the Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, based in Mundelein, Illinois. According to the Department of Commerce, imports of cast iron soil pipe from China in 2017 were valued at $11.5 million.
According to Census Bureau data included in the Department of Commerce fact sheet for the investigation, the U.S. imported 13,634 metric tons (mt) of cast iron soil pipe from China in 2015. That total jumped to 20,147 mt in 2016, but fell back down to 15,695 mt in 2017.
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The department’s final determination in the case is expected by Nov. 8, 2018. Should the department again rule in the affirmative, the case would then move to the U.S. International Trade Commission, which would be scheduled to make its final determination on Dec. 24, 2018.