United Steelworkers called affirmative vote by the US International Trade Commission to proceed with the trade case investigation against China imports of oil country tubular goods an urgent step for the thousands of laid-off workers at idled pipe production facilities of seven domestic companies.

Mr Leo W Gerard USW President declared that “The OCTG producers and jobless pipe workers are paying the price of China’s massive government subsidies and unfair dumping of imports in our market. More than a third of this industry’s 6,000 workers are now laid off, threatening the future of a critical product used in our energy extraction industry.”

Seven domestic OCTG producers and the USW filed an antidumping and countervailing duty trade case against China imports with the ITC and the US Department of Commerce on April 8 of this year. OCTG represents welded and stainless steel pipes that are used to extract oil or gas from a drill well.

Mr Tom Conway USW Vice President said the 6-0 US trade panel vote gives approval to a Commerce Department investigation that could lead to steep US duties on around USD 2.6 billion worth of steel pipe used in oil production and help return laid-off American pipe workers back on the job.

The USW and the domestic companies allege that Chinese producers benefit from massive government subsidies and dumping margins ranging from 40% to 90%. According to the USW, the increase in Chinese imports of OCTG are made worse by the global recession that increases the impact on good jobs in the steel and pipe manufacturing sector.

In addition to the USW as co petitioner, the seven producers of the OCTG petition are
1. US Steel Corp Pittsburgh
2. Maverick Tube Corp Hickman
3. Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel Pueblo
4. TMK IPSCO Downers Grove
5. V&M Star LLP Houston
6. V&M TCA Houston
7. Wheatland Tube Corp Beachwood