The Coalition of American Flange Producers (CAFP) formally filed a petition today with the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission, asserting that imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India are being sold into the United States at "dumped prices" below cost to gain an unfair competitive advantage.
In a statement, the coalition said that in violation of international trade rules, Chinese and Indian producers of stainless steel flanges receive improper government subsidies, such as tax breaks and discounted land and raw materials, all of which cause material injury to the US stainless steel flange industry.
“Improper subsidies have enabled Chinese and Indian manufacturers to dump products into the US market at prices that are well below fair market value,” the statement said. “The import data clearly demonstrate that the volume of Chinese and Indian stainless steel flanges sold in the US has increased significantly this year, and that the foreign producers of these subsidized and dumped imports have taken sales directly from US manufacturers.”