US extends issuing conclusion on circumvention probe into Vietnamese stainless steel

The move comes as the DOC self-initiated an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into stainless and transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP)  steel sheet the country on May 15, 2020.

The DOC had previously suspected that these products were manufactured in China and then outsourced to Vietnam before then being exported to the US. It therefore conducted an investigation into a scope inquiry in order to determine whether Vietnamese stainless steel products should be subject to tax imposition or anti-circumvention behaviour.

According to the TRAV, this is a probe initiated by the DOC. As a result, it is not based on the accusation of the domestic industry in the US as the DOC believes that there have been signs showing that local steel products might be circumventing US safeguard measures previously imposed on similar Chinese products.

Since February, 2017, the DOC has imposed an anti-dumping duty of between 63.86% and 76.64%, as well as anti-subsidy duty of between 75.60% and 190.71%, on Chinese stainless steel products, while the tax rate applied to Vietnamese products stands at 0%.

On May 5, the DOC announced its intention of extending the deadline for issuing the final conclusions for both investigations until September 6. This marks the fourth time the US has unveiled plans to extend the investigation period in the incident.

As a means of protecting the legitimate interests of exporters, the TRAV has recommended that related enterprises closely monitor the developments of the case and actively co-operate with the investigating agency, especially in giving prompt comments on the DOC’s conclusions on the affair, as well as regularly co-ordinating with TRAV in the process of handling the case.