On September 11, 2020 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) determined that there is substantial evidence that Blue Pipe Steel Center Company Limited (“Blue Pipe”) evaded antidumping duties on imports of steel pipes produced by Saha Thai Steel Pipe Public Company Ltd. This finding followed a complaint filed jointly by Schagrin Associates on behalf of the Wheatland Tube Company and counsel for several other U.S. pipe producers.
In particular, CBP found that “when the [antidumping duty] rates increased for standard pipe, Blue Pipe became the importer of record for Saha Thai’s produced pipe” and that “Blue Pipe entered covered merchandise by means of false statements or omissions.” CBP continued that with the “intention to avoid the increased cash deposit rate,” Saha Thai shifted the importer of record from Saha Thai to Blue Pipe and indicated an alteration of the channel of trade.”
As a result of this determination, CBP will take a variety of actions including reclassifying certain past entries of goods into the United States, adjusting duty rates, and requiring single transaction bonds for future entries. Notably, CBP stated that these actions do not “preclude CBP or other agencies from pursuing additional enforcement actions or penalties.”
Schagrin Associates has over 35 years of experience representing clients in antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings. For more information, please visit our website at www.schagrinassociates.com.