A U.S. Department of Commerce official told Supply House Times earlier this week it is scheduled to make its preliminary determination Jan. 27 on its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of finished carbon-steel flanges from India, Italy and Spain that allegedly are sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the government of India.

Typically, the official noted, DOC preliminary determinations are announced 140 days from initiation, but all deadlines are subject to extension per U.S. trade statutes. The official added that DOC could issue a final determination 215 days from initiation, pending there are no extensions along the way or for the final determination itself.

After that, the United States International Trade Commission will issue a final determination after DOC issues its final determination, the DOC official explained.

The U.S. ITC determined last year there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of these imports of finished carbon-steel flanges.

This action is in response to Argo, Ill.-based Weldbend Corp., and Boltex Mfg. Co., two U.S.-based producers of carbon-steel flanges, filing petitions last year within the U.S. DOC and ITC charging that unfairly priced and subsidized imports of carbon-steel flanges from India, Spain and Italy are causing material injury to the domestic industry.

The antidumping and countervailing petitions seek the enforcement and compliance of Indian, Spanish and Italian manufacturers with U.S. and international trade laws. Boltex and Weldbend charge that unfairly traded imports of carbon-steel flanges from India, Spain and Italy are causing material injury to the American industry of carbon-steel flanges, as these foreign producers are selling their products in the American market at prices that are less than their fair value and are thereby significantly undercutting American market prices.

The countervailing duty petition also alleges the Indian government has given significant subsidies to the Indian carbon-steel flanges industry — to the severe detriment of American jobs and manufacturing.