The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by imports of carbon and alloy steel threaded rod from Taiwan that are sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.

As a result, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) will issue an antidumping duty order on imports of this product from Taiwan.

Specifically, Commerce assigned affirmative dumping rate of 32.26% to the mandatory respondents Quintain Steel Co. Ltd., Top Forever Screws Co. Ltd., Fastenal Asia Pacific Ltd. TW Repres, QST International Corporation, and Ta Chen Steel Pipe Ltd., based on “adverse facts available.”

Commerce assigned a preliminary affirmative dumping rate of 32.26% to all other Taiwanese producers and exporters.

As a result, Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue collecting cash deposits equal to the applicable final weighted-average dumping rate.

In 2018, threaded rod imports from Taiwan increased 16.2% to 81,244 metric tons, with the value rising 12% to an estimated $156.1 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

The petitioner is Vulcan Threaded Products, Inc., which filed a petition on February 21. Commerce initiated its investigation on March 13 and issued a preliminary determination on September 19.

The Commission’s public report Carbon and Alloy Steel Threaded Rod from Taiwan (Inv. No. 731-TA-1443 (Final), USITC Publication 5013, January 2020) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigation.

The report will be available by February 13 on the USITC website: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.

U.S. Industry in 2018:
1.   Number of U.S. producers: 10.
2.   Location of producers’ plants: Alabama, California, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
3.   Production and related workers: 330.
4.   U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments: $122.6 million.
5.   Apparent U.S. consumption: $443.9 million.
6.   Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption: 48.8%.

U.S. Imports in 2018:
1.   Subject imports: $216.5 million.
2.   Non-subject imports: $104.7 million.
3.   Leading import sources: China, India, Taiwan and Thailand.