Six U.S. pipe manufacturers commended the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for last week's decision to impose hefty countervailing duties (CVD) on Chinese exports of standard and structural steel pipe.

Last week's ITC decision marks the first time that a CVD, or anti-subsidy order, has been imposed on a steel product from China, and the first time that a CVD case on China has resulted in a CVD since the Commerce Dept. (DOC) began to initiate CVD investigations of Chinese imports in October 2006.

The trade action was filed in June 2007 on parallel tracks before the ITC and the DOC by the Ad Hoc Coalition for Fair Pipe Imports From China, along with the United Steelworkers union. The Ad Hoc Coalition includes Allied Tube & Conduit, IPSCO Tubulars, Northwest Pipe Co., Sharon Tube Co., Western Tube & Conduit and Wheatland Tube.

Read more about the landmark ITC decision here.