Chinese steel producers Baosteel and Tianjin Pipe, as well as the steel pipe committee of the China Steel Structure Association (CSSA), have all lately expressed strong opposition to the initiation by the US of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations for imports of certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from China, and have called for active countermeasures.
In its statement, Baosteel expressed shock and regret over the move taken by the US authorities. Baosteel said that its OCTG exports to the US have been maintaining steady, gradual growth which is inseparably related to the development of oil resources and the increased oil supply in the United States causing by soaring oil prices. Since 2008, China's OCTG exports to the US have been on an upward trend, while export price levels have also climbed considerably and remain at high levels - indicating that there is real demand in the US and that Chinese exports have made up for the domestic supply shortage in the US. Currently, Baosteel said, the so-called damage caused by Chinese imports actually results from the financial crisis.
In its turn, Tianjin Pipe Group also stressed its strong opposition to the US initiation of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations, and called for a proactive response from the relevant enterprises. This producer stated that its exporting activities are fully consistent with WTO rules. It also expressed the hope that the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) and the steel pipe committee of the CSSA would play a part in seeking government support and in pushing for appropriate measures.
Finally, the steel pipe committee of the CSSA voiced strong dissatisfaction on the issue. It commented that despite strong opposition to trade protectionism, the US government initiated antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations for imports of certain OCTG products from China, thus not only harming the interests of the Chinese steel industry, but also generating negative impacts on industrial development and international competition.