Canada initiates probe into copper tube from China

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal announced on Thursday that it has initiated a preliminary inquiry into the alleged dumping of circular copper tube from Brazil, Greece, China, South Korea and Mexico.

The inquiry followed a complaint filed by an Ontario company. It alleges that the company suffered injury as a result of the dumping of circular copper tube from Brazil, Greece, China, South Korea and Mexico, and the subsidizing of the goods from China.

The Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA), the country's federal anti-dumping agency, also announced on Thursday that it will initiate investigations into the alleged injurious dumping and subsidizing.

The Tribunal said in a press release that it will determine whether there is a reasonable indication that the alleged dumping and subsidizing have injured the domestic industry on July 22.

While the Tribunal is investigating the question of injury, the CBSA will probe whether the imports are being dumped and/or subsidized and will made a preliminary decision by Aug. 20.

The Tribunal will initiate a final injury inquiry if these preliminary determinations indicate that there has been dumping or subsidizing, while the CBSA will continue its investigations.

Anti-dumping and/or countervailing duties will be imposed only if the Tribunal finds that dumped or subsidized products are injuring or threatening to injure the Canadian producers, the Tribunal said.

So far this year, the Tribunal has initiated anti-dumping and anti-subsidizing inquiries into three other kinds of products from China, including galvanized steel wire, unitized wall modules and silicon metal.

The Tribunal has determined that there are reasonable indications that the alleged dumping and subsidizing of galvanized steel wire and unitized wall modules have caused injury or are threatening to cause injury to the domestic industry.

The final inquiry has been initialized into galvanized steel wire, and a decision will be made if the same inquiry into the other ones will be launched, which depends on further investigation results by the CBSA.