Ottawa, Ontario, May 14, 2012 – The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that it is initiating investigations into the alleged injurious dumping of certain carbon steel welded pipe from Chinese Taipei, the Republic of India, the Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, the Republic of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The CBSA is also initiating investigations into the alleged injurious subsidizing of certain carbon steel welded pipe from the Republic of India, the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

The investigations follow a complaint filed by Novamerican Steel Inc. of Montréal, Quebec and Bolton Steel Tube Co. Ltd., of Bolton, Ontario. The complainants allege that the dumping and subsidizing of these goods are harming Canadian production by causing the following: price depression/suppression, lost market share, lost sales, reduced capacity utilization, reduced profits and reduction in employment.

Dumping occurs when goods are sold to importers in Canada at prices that are less than their selling prices in the exporter's domestic market or at unprofitable prices. Subsidizing occurs when goods imported into Canada benefit from foreign government financial assistance. The Special Import Measures Act protects Canadian producers from the damaging effects of such unfair trade.

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal will now begin an injury inquiry to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers, and will render its preliminary findings on July 13, 2012. While the Tribunal is examining the question of injury, the CBSA will launch a preliminary investigation into whether the imports are being dumped and/or subsidized, and will make a preliminary decision by August 13, 2012.

The CBSA will make a preliminary determination on August 13, 2012, into whether the imports are being dumped and/or subsidized.

If the Tribunal determines that an unusually large increase in harmful imports has occurred prior to the CBSA's decision, and that the retroactive application of anti-dumping or countervailing duty is therefore justified, duty could be levied on the goods brought into Canada as of today.

A copy of the statement of reasons, which provides more details about these investigations, will be available on the CBSA's Web site within 15 days. More information on the CBSA's Anti-dumping and Countervailing Directorate or the Special Import Measures Act can also be found on this site.