According to news reports, Fort Wayne, Indiana-based stainless steel producers Valbruna Slater Stainless and Valbruna Stainless filed a petition Monday with the US International Trade Commission, seeking to block imports of certain products from India, Germany and Taiwan, citing stolen trade secrets.
The products in dispute include stainless steel ingots and billets; stainless steel wire rod in coils; stainless steel bars and shapes; wire; and downstream stainless steel products, such as flanges, forgings, and fasteners.
The offshore companies named in the complaint are India's Viraj Profiles Limited, German affiliate Flanschenwerk Bebitz GmbH and Taiwan's Ta Chen Stainless Pipe Co, along with associated companies.
"Valbruna seeks a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order to stop the proposed respondents from continuing to profit from the misappropriation of Valbruna's trade secrets and injuring Valbruna," the petition read.