The FEB Fair Trade Coalition (Coalition)—composed of the Forging Industry Association (FIA), Ellwood Group, and Finkl Steel—claim that forged steel fluid end blocks (FEBs) have been illegally dumped into the US at 12.82-77.24pc margins.
The petition filed by the Coalition to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and the US Department of Commerce (Commerce) alleges China, India, Germany, and Italy have dumped FEB into the US and has urged both agencies to investigate this alleged law trade contravention.
The petition claims FEB imports have increased over 600pc since 2016 and consequently become injurious to US manufacturers and workers. In a statement, James Warren, president and chief executive officer of the FIA, said the alleged dumping and subsidization is hurting American forgers, and has left US energy independence hanging in the balance.
Commerce will rule on whether or not it will initiate an investigation into potential antidumping and countervailing duties, while the ITC’s decision isn’t expected until February 2020. Should that occur, Commerce’s ruling is expected by summer 2020, with a final ruling scheduled for February 2021.
FEBs are used in hydraulic pumps manufacturing, which are then used by the oil and gas industry to drill or shale fracture.