The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has temporarily suspended a US Steel Corporation 337 seeking to block Chinese steel from entering the U.S. market on the grounds that at least two issues, namely, price fixing and trans-shipment, fall under the purview of antidumping and countervailing duty laws which are handled by the Commerce Department.
The investigation is temporarily suspended to allow the ITC to provide the required notice to the Commerce Department. Additionally, the decision allows the ITC to seek more input from the Justice Department on the trade secret theft allegations also filed.
According to the order, the suspension means that all discovery and motions are stayed and sets the target date for the investigation for October 2, 2017. At this conjuncture, US Steel has the option to petition the ITC to review the suspension decision.
There is no legal precedent for the broad 337 petition filed by US Steel, making it difficult for experts to predict how it will unfold.