New EAPA Investigations Underway on Importers of Carbon Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings
CBP is looking into allegations of antidumping duty evasion by multiple importers of carbon steel butt-weld pipe fittings from China, the agency said in a notice. Allied Group filed six allegations "separately identifying and alleging" that Ductilic, Inc.; Iron Mule Products; Missouri Pipe Fittings; Norca Industrial Company, LLC; Trupply, LLC; and Service Metal Products evaded an antidumping order on CSBW pipe fittings. CBP said it has implemented interim measures for the importers.
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Allied filed the allegations in March after company personnel visited a Cambodian facility and "observed large quantities of finished and semi-finished CSBW pipe fittings from China," CBP said. During a meeting between Allied representatives and the facility's manager, the "manager verbally conveyed that the company knowingly imports Chinese-origin pipe fittings for re-export to the United States and elsewhere, falsely declaring the Chinese imports as raw materials," CBP said. That conversation was recorded and submitted to CBP as evidence of duty evasion.
CBP found that "Allied provided evidence to reasonably suggest that the Importers entered merchandise into the United States through evasion," it said. "Information submitted by Allied reasonably suggested the Importers entered Chinese-origin CSBW pipe fittings into the United States through evasion, and that in some instances such fittings also appear to have been misclassified as non-subject merchandise."
CBP also performed a site visit and found "minimal operations." The importers were either non-responsive or provided incomplete answers in response to requests for more information by CBP, it said. Based on the evidence, there's reasonable suspicion that the companies evaded AD order A-570-814. CBP said it will implement interim measures, including rate adjustments and suspended liquidations for unliquidated entries under investigation, meaning "any entry that has entered on or after March 21, 2019, the date of initiation for the investigations incorporated into this consolidated investigation."