WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday announced preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from 32 to 98 percent on hundreds of millions of seamless steel pipes from China.
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The decision is a victory for United States Steel Corp, V&M Star LP, TMK IPSCO and the United Steelworkers union, which filed a petition last year asking for duties to offset what they said was below-market pricing by Chinese competitors.
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The trade complaint is one of several against China moving through the U.S. system.
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On Wednesday, the Commerce Department launched a new investigation against imports of an aluminum product that U.S. manufacturers said China was unfairly pricing.
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The mounting number of cases has prompted China to complain the United States is using its trade remedy laws in a protectionist fashion.
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Washington responds that its actions are a necessary defense against government subsidies and unfair pricing practices.
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The Commerce Department set a preliminary anti-dumping duty of 91.93 percent for Hengyang Steel Tube Group International Trading Inc, Hengyang Valin Steel Tube Co Ltd and Hengyang Valin MPM Tube Co Ltd.
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It set a lower rate of 32.39 percent on Tianjin Pipe International Economic and Trading Corporation and Tianjin Pipe (Group) Corporation.
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Several other Chinese manufacturers and exporters received a rate of 62.16 percent, and remaining unidentified companies were hit with a China-wide rate of 98.37 percent.
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Imports of the seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line and pressure pipe from China totaled $182 million in 2009, down from $487 million in 2008.
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The Commerce Department will issue its final anti-dumping determination in September, setting the stage for an International Trade Commission vote in October on whether to allow the duties.
