During the question and answer portion of Vancouver, Washington-based Northwest Pipe's Q2 conference call Tuesday, president and CEO Richard Roman said the "imports have had a significant negative impact on margins" for the company. Heavy import levels have also pressured the company's ability to use its added capacity, particularly in the short term. He said that imports will continue to severely impact the company in Q3.
Roman also noted that Northwest Pipe is currently "in the midst of gathering the information to determine whether or not the imports have been harmful to the US industry." After that data is analyzed, the company will determine whether or not a trade case will be filed. He added that the company is watching to determine whether or not this "collection of data" will slow down imports into the Houston area.