On Monday, the US Department of Commerce (DOC) stated that it is initiating an anti-circumvention inquiry on the antidumping (AD) order against Chinese cut-to-length carbon steel plate.
On August 30, 2008, major US plate producers, namely Nucor Corporation, SSAB N.A.D., Evraz Claymont Steel, and Evraz Oregon Steel Mills, filed a complaint to the US DOC, claiming that China had been altering the chemistry of its steel plate by adding small amounts of boron to avoid previously instated dumping duties. The complaint covered merchandise produced by Tianjin Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. and/or imported by Toyota Tsusho America.
The anti-circumvention inquiry is limited to the same two involved Chinese producers/exporters. The DOC will establish a schedule for this scope inquiry.