The final hearing on an anti-dumping investigation of non-malleable cast iron pipe fittings from China was held on Feb. 11. A vote by the ITC commissioners was tentatively scheduled for March 12, although they had until March 24 to submit their findings to the Dept. of Commerce.

The investigation was triggered by a petition filed by Anvil International and Ward Manufacturing in February 2002.

Antidumping Statute Challenged: A World Trade Organization Appellate Body ruled against the United States on three of five principal claims in an appeal of a 2001 dispute settlement established at the request of 10 foreign nations and the European Union. The complaint charged that the U.S. "Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000" violated certain WTO requirements.

The claims upheld dealt mainly with the way funds were disbursed under the Act. The dispute did not involve the underlying U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duty laws. A statement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said that "the United States will continue to vigorously enforce (anti-dumping and countervailing duty) laws."