The Commerce Department has determined that Chinese exporters of cast iron soil pipe are dumping their products on the U.S. market at less than fair value.
Based on its antidumping investigation, the department assigned a dumping rate of 302.61 percent to HengTong Casting Co. Ltd., as well as for all other Chinese producers and exporters of cast iron soil pipe.
Commerce will now instruct Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from U.S. importers of Chinese-made cast iron soil pipe based on this preliminary rate.
According to the department, U.S. imports of cast iron soil pipe from China in 2017 were valued at $11.5 million.
The Cast Iron Soil Pipe Institute of Mundelein, Ill., petitioned Commerce for the investigation.
Commerce is scheduled to announce the final determination for this investigation by Jan. 8.
If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination, the U.S. International Trade Commission is expected to make its final injury determination by Feb. 21. If Commerce makes an affirmative final determination in this investigation and the ITC makes an affirmative final injury determination, Commerce will issue an antidumping duty order. However, if Commerce makes a negative final determination, or the ITC makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation will end and no order will be issued.