The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday it made a final finding that exports of steel concrete reinforcing bar, or rebar, from Japan and Turkey hurt U.S. producers, ensuring that anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on the building material remain in effect.
 
The U.S. Commerce Department made a final determination on May 16 that Japanese and Turkish producers dumped rebar on the U.S. market and that Turkish rebar exports were subsidized.
 
"The United States can no longer sit back and watch as its essential industries like steel are destroyed by foreign companies unfairly selling their products in the U.S. markets,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in the May announcement.
 
Anti-dumping duties were initially imposed on Japanese exporters ranging from 206.43 percent to 209.46 percent and on Turkish exporters of 5.39 percent to 8.17 percent. In addition, Turkish exporters faced anti-subsidy duties of 16.21 percent.
 
The Commerce Department investigation followed a petition from the Rebar Trade Action Coalition and members Bayou Steel Group, Byer Steel Group Inc, Commercial Metals Co, Gerdau Ameristeel U.S. Inc, Nucor Corp and Steel Dynamics Inc.
 
In a March preliminary anti-dumping decision, the department assigned preliminary dumping margins of 209.46 percent for Japanese exporters, including Jonan Steel Corp and Kyoei Steel Ltd, and 5.29 percent to 7.07 percent for Turkish producers.
 
In 2016, rebar imports from Japan were estimated by the department at $96.1 million and from Turkey at $511.9 million.