Higher import duties for Chinese steel pipe

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) allowed significantly higher import duties on standard steel pipe from China, the Wall Street Journal reported. The US ITC found Friday that US producers are being harmed by subsidized imports, thus allowing countervailing duties as high as 616%, set by the Commerce Department last month, to be charged on the pipe. Antidumping duties of up to 85.55% would also be levied. The US ITC was required to make a ruling before the duties could take effect. The US ITC ruling is a major change in American trade policy toward China, the paper said.