It is reported that the United States has set preliminary anti dumping duties ranging from 36.53% to 99.14% on Chinese made steel pipe used in oil wells.

The Commerce Department is expected to announce the preliminary duties now.

They reflect the department's determination of how far below "fair market value" Chinese companies are selling steel pipe and tubing product in the United States.

The Commerce Department decided one Chinese company targeted in the investigation, Jiangsu Changbao Steel Co, is not guilty of dumping in the United States. However, that same company was hit last month with a 24.33% countervailing duty rate.

Tianjin Pipe Group Corp. was assessed a 36.5% duty. Changbao received a 24% countervailing duty in September.

They are in addition to preliminary countervailing duties of 10.69% to 30.69% the Commerce Department announced in September to offset Chinese government subsidies to encourage production of the steel goods.

US companies imported USD 2.63 billion of certain oil country tubular goods from China in 2008 or more than three times the USD 750 million they imported in 2007.