Six U.S. steel pipe manufacturers have petitioned the International Trade Commission to impose antidumping duties on producers of welded carbon steel line pipe from China, Mexico and South Korea. The petitioners include the American Steel Pipe Division of American Cast Iron Pipe Co., IPSCO Tubulars, Lone Star Steel Co., Maverick Tube Corp., Northwest Pipe Co. and Stupp Corp. Cumulatively, they are believed to account for well over half of the domestic industry producing line pipe.

Cumulative imports of line pipe from the subject companies increased by 179% between 2001 and 2003, according to the petition, while their market share increased by 122.7% to a total of 22.8% of the line pipe market. The petitioners charged that underselling in 2003 ranged from 32.6% from China, 25.8% from Korea and 5.8% from Mexico.

The legal basis for the petition charges that the imports are being sold at less than fair value, and materially injure domestic producers.