US Steel Mills Ask for Finding of “Critical Circumstances” Against Coated Steel Exporters

On June 3, 2015, six U.S. steel mills filed an antidumping and countervailing duty petition against corrosion resistant (referred to as CORE, which are coated steels such as galvanized and Galvalume products) steels from: China, Taiwan, South Korea, India and Italy.

Late last week, attorneys representing Nucor Corporation, US Steel, Steel Dynamics, AK Steel , ArcelorMittal USA and California Steel filed paperwork with the US Department of Commerce alleging that imports of CORE products have “surged” since the filing (above the 15 percent threshold). According to the mills’ attorneys the alleged surge of galvanized and Galvalume products since the filing means the countries named are trying to circumvent potential duties by rushing the steel into the United States. If true, this then opens the door for “critical circumstances.”