U.S. Producer Files New Trade Case Against Imports of Oil Country Tubular Goods from Austria, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates
The Petitions
U.S. OCTG Manufacturers Association (“USOMA”); United States Steel Corporation; and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (collectively, “Petitioners”) have filed new petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce (“DOC”) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) seeking the imposition of antidumping duties (“AD”) on imports into the United States of oil country tubular goods (“OCTG”) from Austria, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) and countervailing duties (“CVD”) on imports into the United States of OCTG from Austria. The Petitioners allege that imports of OCTGs are being dumped in the U.S. market and unfairly subsidized by the government of Austria. The Petitioners allege that these imports are injuring the domestic producers.
The imported product subject to these petitions is OCTG. OCTG includes casing, tubing, and coupling stock for use in oil and natural gas exploration and production. OCTG can be produced either with regard to a specific specification or produced without regard to specification, but OCTG is generally produced to American Petroleum Institute (“API”) specification 5CT. The API 5CT specification for OCTG indicates that the product should be “stenciled,” or marked by the manufacturer to indicate conformance with the specification to which it has been manufactured, and that the stenciling should identify the manufacturer’s name, specification, size and weight designations, grade and class (e.g., H40, J55, K55, M65, and N80 through Pl10), process of manufacture (seamless pipe or electric resistance welded pipe), heat treatment, and test pressure.
OCTG may be imported as either a plain end product or with finished ends. This finishing includes threaded ends, upset ends, or ends with attached coupling devices known as coupling stock. There have been numerous prior AD/CVD petitions and proceedings involving OCTG, including orders on imports from China, India, Turkey, Korea, Russia, and other countries.
Scope of the Investigation
The following language describes the imported merchandise that the Petitioners intend to cover in these investigations:
The merchandise covered by the investigations is certain oil country tubular goods (OCTG), which are hollow steel products of circular cross-section, including oil well casing and tubing, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel (both carbon and alloy), whether seamless or welded, regardless of end finish (e.g., whether or not plain end, threaded, or threaded and coupled) whether or not conforming to American Petroleum Institute (API) or non-API specifications, whether finished (including limited service OCTG products) or unfinished (including green tubes and limited service OCTG products), whether or not thread protectors are attached. The scope of the investigations also covers OCTG coupling stock.
Subject merchandise includes material matching the above description that has been finished, packaged, or otherwise processed in a third country, including by performing any heat treatment, cutting, upsetting, threading, coupling, or any other finishing, packaging, or processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the investigations if performed in the country of manufacture of the OCTG.
Excluded from the scope of the investigations are: casing, tubing, or coupling stock containing 10.5 percent or more by weight of chromium; drill pipe; unattached couplings; and unattached thread protectors.
The merchandise subject to the investigations is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under item numbers:
7304.29.1010, 7304.29.1020, 7304.29.1030, 7304.29.1040, 7304.29.1050, 7304.29.1060, 7304.29.1080, 7304.29.2010, 7304.29.2020, 7304.29.2030, 7304.29.2040, 7304.29.2050, 7304.29.2060, 7304.29.2080, 7304.29.3110, 7304.29.3120, 7304.29.3130, 7304.29.3140, 7304.29.3150, 7304.29.3160,7304.29.3180, 7304.29.4110, 7304.29.4120, 7304.29.4130, 7304.29.4140, 7304.29.4150, 7304.29.4160, 7304.29.4180, 7304.29.5015, 7304.29.5030, 7304.29.5045, 7304.29.5060, 7304.29.5075, 7304.29.6115, 7304.29.6130, 7304.29.6145, 7304.29.6160, 7304.29.6175, 7305.20.2000, 7305.20.4000, 7305.20.6000, 7305.20.8000, 7306.29.1030, 7306.29.1090, 7306.29.2000, 7306.29.3100, 7306.29.4100, 7306.29.6010, 7306.29.6050, 7306.29.8110, and 7306.29.8150.
The merchandise subject to the investigations may also enter under the following HTSUS item numbers:
7304.39.0024, 7304.39.0028, 7304.39.0032, 7304.39.0036, 7304.39.0040, 7304.39.0044, 7304.39.0048, 7304.39.0052, 7304.39.0056, 7304.39.0062, 7304.39.0068, 7304.39.0072, 7304.39.0076, 7304.39.0080, 7304.59.6000, 7304.59.8015, 7304.59.8020, 7304.59.8025, 7304.59.8030, 7304.59.8035, 7304.59.8040, 7304.59.8045, 7304.59.8050, 7304.59.8055, 7304.59.8060, 7304.59.8065, 7304.59.8070, 7304.59.8080, 7305.31.4000, 7305.31.6090, 7306.30.5055, 7306.30.5090, 7306.50.5050, and 7306.50.5070.
The HTSUS subheadings and specifications above are provided for convenience and customs purposes only. The written description of the scope of the investigations is dispositive.
Key Facts
Petitioners: Members of USOMA joining this petition are Axis Pipe and Tube LLC; Borusan Pipe U.S., Inc.; PTC Liberty Tubulars LLC; Tenaris USA; Vallourec STAR L.P.; and Welded Tube USA, Inc.; and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC.
Foreign Producers/Exporters and U.S. Importers: Please contact Clark Hill’s international trade team for a listing of individual importers and exporters named in the petitions.
AD/CVD Margins: Petitioners alleged the following AD and CVD margins:
- Austria: AD Margin 46.36 % to 55.10% ad valorem, and a CVD margin above de minimis.
- Taiwan: AD margin from 42.92% to 44.16%, ad valorem.
- UAD: AD margin from 91.42% to 93.59%, ad valorem.
The Investigations
The DOC and the ITC will conduct parallel investigations. The ITC will first determine if there is a reasonable indication of material injury or threat of injury to the U.S. industry. The DOC will then determine whether imports are being dumped or unfairly subsidized and will calculate corresponding AD and CVD duty margin that importers will need to pay on their entries.
If the DOC issues an affirmative preliminary determination, importers will be required to deposit the estimated AD/CVD duties on their imports as of the date that the DOC publishes its affirmative preliminary determination in the Federal Register. In this case, the DOC’s preliminary determinations are currently expected by June 26, 2026 (CVD) and September 9, 2026 (AD), although the schedule is subject to change. Importers should be aware that cash deposits may apply earlier if the DOC finds that there is a surge of imports after the Petitions were filed.
Next Steps
Given the strict statutory deadlines, governing AD and CVD investigations, U.S. importers and foreign producers are advised to prepare as soon as possible.
If this product is of interest to your business, please contact Clark Hill’s international trade for additional details and strategic guidance. information.
A schedule of approximate key dates is below.
Approximate Key Dates*
|
Antidumping Duty Investigation |
||
| Event | No. of Days | Date of Action |
| Petition Filed | 0 | 4/2/2026 |
| DOC Initiation Date | 20 | 4/22/2026 |
| DOC Separate Rate Applications | 41 | 5/13/2026 |
| DOC Q&V Questionnaires | 44 | 5/16/2026 |
| ITC Preliminary Determination | 45 | 5/18/2026 |
| DOC Preliminary AD Determination | 160 | 9/9/2026 |
| DOC Final AD Determination | 235 | 11/23/2026 |
| ITC Final AD Determination | 280 | 1/7/2027 |
| DOC AD Publication of Order | 287 | 1/14/2027 |
|
Countervailing Duty Investigation |
||
| Event | No. of Days | Date of Action |
| Petition Filed | 0 | 4/2/2026 |
| DOC Initiation Date | 20 | 4/22/2026 |
| DOC Q&V Questionnaires | 44 | 5/18/2026 |
| ITC Preliminary Determination | 45 | 5/18/2026 |
| DOC Preliminary CVD Determination | 85 | 6/26/2026 |
| Request for a DOC Hearing | 122 | 8/3/2026 |
| DOC Final CVD Determination | 160 | 9/9/2026 |
| ITC Final CVD Determination | 205 | 10/26/2026 |
| DOC CVD Publication of Order | 212 | 11/1/2026 |
*All deadlines are approximate and are subject to change throughout the course of an investigation. Deadlines that fall on a weekend or Federal holiday are extended to the next business day, as shown above. Contact Clark Hill for current updates and details.
Contact Clark Hill
If you have questions regarding the content of this alert, please contact any member of Clark Hill’s International Trade Practice:
- Mark Ludwikowski (mludwikowski@clarkhill.com; 202.640.6680)
- Kevin Williams (kwilliams@clarkhill.com; 312.985.5907)
- Kelsey Christensen (kchristensen@clarkhill.com; 202.230.9889)
- Aristeo Lopez (alopez@clarkhill.com; 202.552.2366)
- Ashley Gifford (agifford@clarkhill.com; 202.640.6655)
- Laura M. Quesada (Lquesada@clarkhill.com; 202.240.0170)
- Amal Sheheen (Asheheen@clarkhill.com; 202.552.2354)
- Onjoly Purification (Opurification@clarkhill.com; 202.552.2361)
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