U.S. finds China steel plate imports injure U.S. industry

WASHINGTON The U.S. International Trade Commission said on Friday it had made a final finding that the U.S. industry was being harmed by the dumping and subsidization of imports of carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from China.

The finding allows for the final imposition of duties by the U.S. Commerce Department.

The investigation into the imports was prompted by a petition from Nucor Corp and U.S. subsidiaries of ArcelorMittal SA and SSAB AB.

China’s Ministry of Commerce, however, said issues in the U.S. steel industry were not related to Chinese imports, pointing to obsolete equipment and subsequent low yields as the reason for decreased profits.

In a statement, Wang Hejun, head of China’s trade remedy and investigation bureau, called on the U.S. to make “objective” judgments to avoid negative impacts on trade relations between the two countries.

European Union regulators last month imposed anti-dumping duties of between 65.1 percent and 73.7 percent on imports of heavy plate non-alloy or other alloy steel, spurring concern form China.

(Reporting by Eric Walsh; Additional reporting by Cate Cadell in Beijing; Editing by Richard Pullin)