US extends anti-dumping duties on steel products

A US trade panel decided on Tuesday to extend antidumping and countervailing duties on hot- rolled steel products from five foreign countries after the second five-year review of the measures imposed initially in 2001.

The US International Trade Commission (USITC) voted against revoking the existing duty orders on hot-rolled steel products from China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Ukraine, saying it " would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time."

The US Commerce Department is required to remove an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the department and the USITC vote against it, according to the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.

In 2011, the United States issued countervailing duty orders on hot-rolled steel products from India, Indonesia and Thailand and antidumping duty orders on the products from the above five countries.

The Commerce Department and the USITC decided to keep these duties in place after the first five-year review of the measures in 2007. The second five-year review of the measures was instituted last November by the Commerce Department. The USITC voted to conduct full reviews on Feb. 4, 2013.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly urged Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.