USW Affirms U.S. Ruling on Pipe Import Tariffs for 7 Countries

Leo W. Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers (USW) issued the following statement on June 14, 2012's 6-0 unanimous affirmative determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to continue duty orders on circular welded pipe and tube imports from seven countries: Brazil, India, Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.

"The USW joins with the four largest domestic producers of pipe products in commending June 14, 2012's trade commission ruling to sustain current levels of tariffs on circular welded pipe and tube imports from producers in seven countries," Gerard said. "This will protect the jobs of 1,500 American pipe workers' and their employers from unfairly traded products.

"Not only will this determination keep family-supportive jobs here, but it will also protect steel-making, scrap, plus iron ore and metallurgical coal mining jobs, which are part of the supply chain."

According to Tom Conway, USW Vice President and a lead negotiator for labor contracts in the pipe and steel industries: "The circular welded pipe industry's share of its own market in the U.S. is less than two-thirds, while the capacity utilization of these pipe mills is only about 50 percent. If the tariffs were revoked, it would be only a matter of months before subsidized and dumped imports would wipe out our remaining jobs."

The USITC conducted a third sunset review of the facts in a public hearing held May 3, where the USW testified in support of the existing countervailing duty order on pipe and tube from Turkey, plus antidumping duty orders on these products from all seven countries. As a result of the affirmative determination, the current tariffs will remain in place for another five years.

The USW-represented pipe and tube producers are: Allied Pipe & Tube Co., TMK Ipsco, US. Steel and Wheatland Tube Co. The companies have pipe making plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio.