The Turkish Steel Exporters' Association chairman Namık Ekinci has said that the US antidumping and countervailing duty decision on Turkish OCTG imports is without basis. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) decision confirmed the dumping margins for Turkish producers ranging from zero percent to 35.86 percent and subsidy margins ranging from 2.53 percent to 15.89 percent announced by the US Department of Commerce in July.
Commenting on the duty decision, "This is all about the US, which is the world's biggest free market, reinforcing safeguard measures based on groundless allegations. The US authorities based this decision on the claim that Turkey is not a free market economy. This is without basis. They should have investigated this claim by visiting the country but they did not. However, the European Union intends to use Turkey as an example of a free market economy in terms of domestic prices in its duty investigation against China. Apart from its 10 million mt of flat steel production, Turkey imports 7 million mt of flat steel products which accounts for 44 percent of total steel imports of the country. This proves Turkey is a free market economy," Mr. Ekinci said.
Namık Ekinci concluded his statement as follows: "Turkish companies will appeal to the US ITC about this duty decision. We are sure this will result in our favor. During the investigation period, the US steel producers politicized the process by pressuring the decision makers with the help of about 150 congressmen. The US producers are fully aware that the lawsuit we will file for at the US ITC will take one to two years to conclude and in the meantime they will achieve the higher profit margins they hope for but do not deserve."