The US Department of Commerce on Tuesday announced its affirmative final determination in an anti-dumping duty investigation of imports of forged steel fittings from Taiwan.

In a statement posted on its Web site, the department said that Taiwanese exporters have sold forged steel fittings in the US at a price 116.17 percent less than the fair market value.

US Customs and Border Protection is to continue collecting cash deposits from Taiwanese suppliers of forged steel fittings based on these final rates, the department added.

The department on Oct. 25 last year initiated investigations into the imports of forged steel fitting products from Taiwan, China and Italy, as the products from the three allegedly injured or threatened businesses in the US steel industry.

The department on May 7 assigned a preliminary dumping rate of 116.17 percent on Taiwanese producers, including Both-Well Steel Fittings Co Ltd (柏緯鐵工) and Luchu Shin Yee Works Co Ltd (路竹新益工廠).

Chinese suppliers had rates of 7.42 percent to 142.72 percent, while Italian companies had rates of 49.43 percent to 80.2 percent, the department said at the time.

The US International Trade Commission is scheduled to issue its final determination on or about Sept. 6, the department said on Tuesday.

If the commission makes an affirmative final injury determination, the department said it would issue an anti-dumping order on relevant products from Taiwan.

If the commission makes a negative final determination of injury, the investigation would be terminated and no order would be issued, it added.

Last year, Taiwan shipped 4,359 tonnes of forged steel fittings totaling about US$18.9 million to the US, compared with 3,057 tonnes totaling US$15.1 million in 2016, the department said.

Source: Taipei Times