MARCH 1998  VOL. 8, NO. 1  AWPA Teamwork Carries Day On Carbon Cases A great deal of hard work and commitment paid off for AWPA and its members as the International Trade Commission (ITC) made final negative injury determinations in the antidumping (AD) petition against the imports of carbon and alloy steel wire rod from Canada, Germany, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. The ITC found that imports from these countries are not causing, and do not threaten to cause, material injury to the domestic rod industry. The vote for Canada, Germany, and Venezuela was two to one; and the vote for Trinidad & Tobago was three to zero. As a result of the ITC's determinations, these investigations are terminated, and no antidumping duty orders will be issued against any of these countries. In addition, the suspension agreement that Venezuela signed, will be rescinded. Together with the ITC's negative injury determinations last November in the parallel countervailing duty investigations, these determinations end the administrative proceedings in these cases. In both sets of investigations, the ITC made findings of no injury, and has terminated the investigations without the imposition of duties. However, the Petitioners have appealed the ITC's determinations in the countervailing duty investigations to the US Court of International Trade (CIT). The AWPA has asked the CIT for permission to participate in the appeal. The Petitioners have 30 days in which to file an appeal of the AD determinations. Nearly twenty years ago, AWPA was founded with the primary mission of "assuring access to an adequate supply of carbon, alloy and stainless steel wire rod." The ITC findings definitely reinforced the importance and effectiveness of working as an industry team when threats such as trade cases occur. Indeed, this was continually reinforced by the comments of commissioners and staff at ITC who expressed their appreciation for the interest and the valuable information provided by AWPA. AWPA would like to thank all of the companies that are Active and Associate Wire Manufacturer member companies, that completed the many surveys from both the ITC and the AWPA, taking an enormous amount of time and company resources to do so. AWPA owes a special thanks to those who made the effort to come to Washington to attend the preliminary and/or final injury hearings. These individuals represented the AWPA on behalf of all wire producers: David Foust - AWPA President - President and CEO, Seneca Wire & Mftg Co. O. Woltz, III - AWPA GRAC Chair, President & CEO, Insteel Industries, Inc. Michael Beauregard, Purchasing Manager, Walker Wire (ISPAT) Inc. James W. Colzani, President and COO, MGF Industries, Inc. William O. Kringel, Vice President - Sales, MGF Industries, Inc. Al Lindholm, Vice President, CHC Industries, Inc. John M. Metrock, President, Metrock Steel & Wire Company Bob Moffitt, Vice President Purchasing, Davis Wire Corporation Max Moore, President, Oklahoma Steel & Wire Company John Mueller - AWPA Past President, Chairman, Laidlaw Corporation Willy Vermeersch, Wire Rod Coordinator, Bekaert Corporation And, thanks to those who came and prepared, in case there were additional questions from the Commissioners or their staff: William M. Fraser, Director of Purchasing, Lincoln Electric Company Dean A. Gerbel, Director of Materials, National-Standard Company Brian Hickok, Materials Manager, Indiana Steel & Wire Corporation Kent T. Taubensee, Executive Vice President, Taubensee Steel & Wire In the upcoming months AWPA will face challenges old and new, including the stainless rod cases, possible appeals and other challenges yet to be defined. A sustained common approach in facing these challenges will continue to strengthen AWPA and enhance its reputation and stature in the steel community. Back to Wireline Contents American Wire Producers Association 6232 Roudsby Lane Alexandria, VA 22315-5285 Tel (703) 971-6454 | Fax (703) 971-6997 | E-mail info@awpa.org