Canada’s steel industry has been left reeling by the news that the United States plans to impose new anti-dumping duties on large-diameter welded pipe from its northern neighbour.
The U.S. is to immediately begin collecting 24.38% cash deposits on imports from Canada of welded pipe that were worth almost $180 million U.S. in 2017, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced late on Tuesday. Other countries being hit with similar duties include China, Greece, India, Korea, and Turkey – with penalties ranging from 3.45% for Turkey to more than 132% for China.
India is the only country on the list that had greater exports of the pipe to the U.S. in 2017 than Canada at $295 million U.S. The decision is "disappointing," said Joe Galimberti, President of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, which represents the $15-billion primary steel production industry in Canada.
A spokesperson for federal Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the department is in contact with the exporters targeted by the duties and will monitor the situation.
"The United States has a $2-billion surplus in steel trade with Canada," said Adam Austen in a written statement to the media. "Canada buys more steel from the U.S. than any other country, accounting for more than 50% of U.S. exports."
The U.S. Commerce Department said it found that the six countries it is targeting with tariffs have sold pipe at less than fair value in the United States. "Commerce currently maintains 458 anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade," the Department said in a media statement.
Final duty determinations are to be announced in early November for China and India and in January for Canada and the other three countries on the list of targeted countries.
