The US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced the self-initiation of new inquiries into possible circumvention of anti-dumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from China. The DOC will examine whether hot-rolled steel sheet and strip (HRS) from China is exported to Brunei and the Philippines for minor processing and then exported to the United States as OCTG.
If the DOC preliminarily determines that circumvention is occurring, it will instruct Customs and Border Protection to begin collecting cash deposits on imports of OCTG completed in Brunei and the Philippines using Chinese-origin inputs. For products found to be circumventing the AD and CVD orders, duties will be imposed on future imports, and on any unliquidated entries since the date Commerce initiated these inquiries.
Shipments of welded OCTG from Brunei to the United States increased in value from zero during 2014-2016, to $29 million during 2017-2019. Shipments of welded OCTG from the Philippines to the United States increased in value from $69 million to $105 million, comparing import data from the same periods.