ON 23 September antidumping and countervailing petitions were filed on behalf of Nucor Fastener (a division of Nucor Corp based in Indiana) alleging that Chinese exports of standard fasteners, including structural bolts, nuts and capscrews, are subsidized by the Chinese government, and that Chinese and Taiwanese fastener producers are dumping their products in the U.S.

"The Chinese and Taiwanese producers have been dumping their products in the United States at unfair prices, and the American producers of standard fasteners have suffered," said Alan Price of Wiley Rein's International Trade Practice, counsel to Nucor Fastener. "To keep manufacturing, and manufacturing jobs, in the country, it is essential that the U.S. government vigorously enforce our trade laws, especially during hard economic times like we are experiencing now." 

The petitions, filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, allege average dumping margins for Chinese imports of 145%, and of 74% for imports from Taiwan.

If successful, the petitions could lead to the imposition of special antidumping and countervailing duties on fasteners imported from China and Taiwan.