United States Says China Violated Trade Law

[forum_admin]

Tariffs Imposed as Subsidies to Pipe Makers Called Illegal

In one of the largest U.S.-China trade cases ever, the U.S. Commerce Department has issued a preliminary finding that Chinese steel pipe producers have received government subsidies in violation of trade law, helping them overrun the competition.

The volume of steel pipes imported from China more than tripled between 2006 and 2008, rising from $632 million to $2.6 billion, according to the Commerce Department.

The subsidies from the Chinese government allowed the firms to overwhelm their U.S. rivals, according to six U.S. companies that filed the complaint along with the United Steelworkers union. The companies alleged that their Chinese rivals received discounts on raw materials and loans from government-owned firms.

More...

washingtonpost.com



Men at a steel products market in Wuhan, China, in March. Chinese steel pipes will now face tariffs. (Imaginechina)