U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross recently announced the initiation of new antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations to determine whether imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from the People’s Republic of China are being dumped in the United States and whether producers in China are receiving alleged unfair subsidies.

These AD and CVD investigations are based on petitions filed by Mundelein, Ill.-based Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute, whose members are Oakland, Calif.-based AB&I Foundry, Charlotte, N.C.-based Charlotte Pipe & Foundry and Tyler, Texas-based Tyler Pipe on July 13. The estimated dumping margin alleged by the petitioner is 92.48% and the unfair subsidies are estimated to be above de minimis.

In the AD investigation, the Commerce Department will determine whether imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China are being dumped in the U.S. market at less than fair value. 

In the CVD investigation, the Commerce Department will determine whether Chinese producers of cast iron soil pipe fittings are receiving unfair government subsidies.

If the Commerce Department determines cast iron soil pipe fittings from China are being dumped into the U.S. market, and/or receiving unfair government subsidies, and if the U.S. International Trade Commission determines that dumped and/or unfairly subsidized U.S. imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China are causing injury to the U.S. industry, the Commerce Department will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidization found to exist.

In 2016, imports of cast iron soil pipe fittings from China were valued at an estimated $8.6 million.