WASHINGTON (Commodity Online): US has decided to slap anti-dumping duty on China’s steel pipes. In a move that will have far reaching impact on the Chinese steel industry, the US government has decided to impose 99 per cent duty on steel pipes imported from China following complaints from American producers that they were being dumped at below-market prices.

The duties on $2.6 billion ($2.9 billion) in annual imports of the pipes, used in oil and gas wells, will be 36.5 per cent for the 37 largest exporters, the Commerce Department said in a preliminary decision announced by email. The tariffs will be on top of separate duties announced in September averaging 21 per cent to counter subsidies to Chinese producers.

China and the US have exchanged complaints about steel, poultry, tires and metals as the worst economic crisis since the great depression spurred attempts by countries to protect jobs.

The anti-dumping ruling is unfair to Chinese producers who sold the pipes in the US at a 20 per cent premium to our domestic prices.

China firmly opposes the abuse of protectionism and will take measures to seriously protect the interests of the domestic industry, the Chinese government said in a press note.

The statement called the US measures discriminatory steps that would have a serious impact on the Chinese steel industry’s exports.

China is the second-biggest trading partner for the US after Canada, and ran up a record $266 billion trade surplus with the US last year. The US and the European Union this week asked the World Trade Organization to end Chinese restrictions on exports of nine commodities.

Chinese steel exports to the US plunged 73 per cent in the first eight months from a year ago.

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