The Russian Federation's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT) has announced the receipt of a request from the Russian pipe producer United Metallurgical Company (OMK) on the subject of the cancellation of the five percent import duty on hot rolled plates of 10-15 mm in thickness and of over 600 mm in width produced from non-alloy and alloy steel and used for the production of large diameter pipes.
According to MEDT, OMK claims that the domestic capacity of the product in question is insufficient to satisfy the needs of large diameter pipe manufacturers. Therefore, the domestic producers are unable to work at full capacity and satisfy the market's needs in LD pipes, while the supplies of this type of pipe from Ukraine are limited because of the quota regime.
All interested parties are invited to submit their comments and proposals on the issue by September 1, 2008.