Chairman Stephen Koplan, Vice Chairman Deanna Tanner Okun, and Commissioners Lynn M. Bragg, Marcia E. Miller, Jennifer A. Hillman, and Thelma J. Askey made affirmative determinations. As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its investigations of imports of hot-rolled steel products from these eleven countries, with its preliminary countervailing duty determinations due on or about February 6, 2001, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on or about April 23, 2001.
The Commission's public report Hot-Rolled Steel Products from Argentina, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Romania, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and Ukraine (Investigations Nos. 701-TA-404-408(Preliminary) and 731-TA-898-908 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 3381, January 2001) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.
Copies of the report are expected to be available after January 26, 2001, by calling 202-205- 1809 or from the Office of the Secretary, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104.
Investigations Nos. 701-TA-404-408 (Preliminary) and 731-TA-898-908 (Preliminary)
Product Description: The product subject to these investigations consists of hot-rolled flat-rolled carbon steel products of a rectangular shape, of a width of 0.5 inch or greater, neither clad, plated, nor coated with metal and whether or not painted, varnished, or coated with plastics or other nonmetallic substances, in coils (whether or not in successively superimposed layers) regardless of thickness, or in straight lengths, of a thickness less than 4.75 mm and of a width measuring at least 10 times the thickness. This excludes universal mill plate. Specifically included are vacuum degassed, fully stabilized interstitial-free steels (IF), high strength low alloy steels (HSLA), and the substrate for motor lamination steels. Steels that are regarded as alloy steels are excluded from these investigations. These products are primarily classified in HTS headings 7208, 7210, 7211, and 7212. IF, HSLA, and motor lamination substrate steels, may be classified in HTS headings 7225 and 7226.
Status of Proceedings:
1. Types of investigations: Preliminary countervailing duty and preliminary antidumping duty.
2. Petitioners: Bethlehem Steel Corp.; Gallatin Steel Co.; IPSCO, Inc.; LTV Steel Co., Inc.; National Steel
Corp.; Nucor Corp.; Steel Dynamics, Inc.; U.S. Steel Group of USX Corp.; Weirton Steel Corp.; the
Independent Steelworkers Union; and the United Steelworkers of America.
3. Investigations instituted by USITC: November 13, 2000.
4. Conference: December 4, 2000.
5. USITC vote: December 28, 2000.
6. USITC notification of Department of Commerce: December 28, 2000.
U.S. Industry:
1. Number of U.S. firms reporting production of hot-rolled steel products: 20.
2. Producers' plants are located in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland,
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
3. Employment of production and related workers in U.S. mills in 1999: 29,687.
4. U.S. producers' U.S. shipments (excluding exports) in 1999:
Including captive consumption, 59,689,992 short tons (valued at $17.0 billion)
Open market shipments, 21,561,335 short tons (valued at $6.2 billion).
5. U.S. apparent consumption in 1999:
Including captive consumption, 66,001,452 short tons (valued at $18.6 billion).
Open market consumption, 27,872,795 short tons (valued at $7.9 billion).
6. Ratio of imports from the 11 subject countries to U.S. apparent consumption in 1999:
Including captive consumption, 4.7 percent, by quantity; and 4.0 percent, by value.
Open market consumption, 11.1 percent, by quantity; and 9.4 percent, by value.
U.S. Imports:
1. Subject imports in 1999: 3,087,677 short tons, valued at $743.7 million.
2. Imports from other sources in 1999: 3,223,783 short tons, valued at $915.8 million.