Despite opposition from China, a U.S. trade panel has given final approval to the imposition of additional, punitive duties ranging from about 10 to 16 percent on Chinese-made steel pipes. This is the biggest U.S. trade action taken against China so far.
The US International Trade Commission, voted 6-0 on Wednesday to allow the Commerce Department to impose countervailing duties on Chinese-made tubes and casings.
The commission claimed that the products, used in oil and natural gas production were subsidized by China for export. The Commerce Department is to impose countervailing duties ranging from 10.36 percent to 15.78 percent on the pipes.
The U.S. imported more than 2.7 billion US dollars of the "oil country tubular goods" from China in 2008, more than triple the previous year. This came as a surge in oil prices led to increased demands for oil production materials.