US producers of seamless stainless steel hollow products are expressing concern over imports of stainless tubular products and plan to confer with the Bush Administration officials regarding the situation. The Seamless Stainless Steel Tubular Group (SSSTG), a coalition of US stainless steel pipe producers, noted the significant increase in imports last year over the previous year and particularly targeted potential dumping by Korean producers. “Total imports increased to 41,326 tons in 2000, an increase of about 7.5% over 1999. Imports from Korea more than doubled, at prices which were the lowest of the 13 major foreign suppliers to the US market,â? explained counsel to the producers, David A. Hartquist, a partner with the Washington, DC law firm, Collier Shannon Scott, PLLC. The US industry has been plagued by dumped imports for several years. In 1999, the SSSTG, along with the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), filed an antidumping case against Japanese producers. The Commerce Department determined that Japanese producers were dumping at margins of up to 157%. In a close vote, the US International Trade Commission determined that the domestic industry was not being injured by such imports. U.S. producers have appealed that decision to the Court of International Trade, which is reviewing the ITC decision.
