Hanoi (VNA) – The US Department of Commerce (DOC) on December5 announced its preliminary affirmative ruling on corrosion-resistant steel(CORE) and certain cold-rolled steel flat products imported from Vietnam andproduced from substrate originating in China.

Accordingly, cash deposits would be collected on imports of CORE andcold-rolled steel produced in Vietnam using Chinese-origin substrate.

In a release on its website, DOE said CORE and cold-steel imported from Vietnamproduced from substrate originating in China were circumventing existingantidumping and countervailing duty orders on products imported from China.

The US ruling provided that DOC might find circumvention ofantidumping/countervailing duty orders when merchandise that was the same classor kind as merchandise subject to existing orders is completed or assembled ina third country prior to importation into the United States.

The Customs and Border Protection will collect antidumping and countervailingduty cash deposits on imports of CORE produced in Vietnam using Chinese-originsubstrate at rates of 199.43 percent and 39.05 percent, respectively.

The rates on imports of cold-rolled steel produced in Vietnam usingChinese-origin substrate are 265.79 percent and 256.44 percent, respectively.

These cash deposit rates were previously established in investigations oncold-rolled steel and CORE from China.

Duties will apply to all shipments entering the United States on or afterNovember 4, 2016, the date the circumvention inquiries were initiated, thatremain unliquidated.

Importers and exporters of Vietnamese merchandise that is produced fromsubstrate originating in Vietnam or a third-country have the option of seekingan exemption from cash deposits by certifying that the substrate originated outsideChina, according to the release.

DOC’s statistics showed that shipments of CORE from Vietnam to the US increasedfrom 2 million USD to 80 million USD after preliminary duties were imposed onChinese products in 2015.

Likewise, shipments of cold-rolled steel from Vietnam to the United Statesincreased from 9 million USD to 215 million USD after preliminary duties wereimposed on Chinese products in 2015.

DOC is currently scheduled to announce its final determinations in theseinquiries on February 16, 2018.

The case was initiated in September when US steel producers, includingArcelorMittal USA, Nucor Corp., AK Steel Holdings Corp. and Steel Corp, filedlawsuits in which they claimed Chinese steel producers shipped products via Vietnamto evade tariffs.

In November, the European Union’s anti-fraud office said it found Chinese steelwas shipped through Vietnam to evade the bloc’s tariffs.-VNA