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News Release 20-008
Inv. No(s). 701-TA-632-635 and 731-TA-1466-1468 (Preliminary)
Contact: Peg O'Laughlin, 202-205-1819
The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of fluid end blocks from Germany, India, and Italy that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the governments of China, Germany, India, and Italy.
Chairman David S. Johanson and Commissioners Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, Jason E. Kearns, Randolph J. Stayin, and Amy A. Karpel voted in the affirmative.
As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue with its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations concerning imports of this product from China, Germany, India, and Italy, with its preliminary countervailing duty determinations due on or about March 13, 2020, and its preliminary antidumping duty determinations due on or about May 27, 2020.
The Commission’s public report Fluid End Blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-632-635 and 731-TA-1466-1468 (Preliminary), USITC Publication 5017, February 2020) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.
The report will be available after March 12, 2020; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: httsps://www.usitc.gov/commission_publications_library.
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20436
FACTUAL HIGHLIGHTS
Fluid End Blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy
Investigation Nos. 701-632-635 and 731-TA-1466-1468 (Preliminary)
Product Description: Fluid end blocks are steel forgings of a particular chemistry and certain dimensional ranges that are an essential part of a well service pump. Fluid end blocks are incorporated into a fluid end module, which is used in well stimulation processes and are responsible for pressurizing the pumped fluid into the well. Pumps incorporating fluid end blocks are primarily used for drilling or hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry. Some fluid end blocks are incorporated into mud pumps, which use lower pressures and primarily pump water or a mud mixture. Most fluid end blocks are made from stainless steel or non-stainless alloy steel, and many fluid end block producers experiment with different steel chemistries in an effort to improve fluid end block hardness, toughness, strength, and machinability.
Status of Proceedings:
1. Type of investigation: Preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty investigations.
2. Petitioner: Ellwood City Forge Company, Ellwood Quality Steels Company, and Ellwood National Steel Company, Ellwood City, PA; A. Finkl & Sons, Chicago, IL; and FEB Fair Trade Coalition, Cleveland, OH.
3. USITC Institution Date: Thursday, December 19, 2019.
4. USITC Conference Date: Thursday, January 9, 2020.
5. USITC Vote Date: Friday, January 31, 2020.
6. USITC Views to Commerce Date: Monday, February 10, 2020.
U.S. Industry in 2018:
1. Number of U.S. producers: 10.
2. Location of producers’ plants: Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin.
3. Production and related workers: [1]
4. U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments: 1
5. Apparent U.S. consumption: 1
6. Ratio of subject imports to apparent U.S. consumption: 1
U.S. Imports in 2018:
1. Subject imports: $256.4 million.
2. Nonsubject imports: 1
3. Leading import sources: China, Germany, India, and Italy.
[1] Withheld to avoid disclosure of business proprietary information.