US-China trade further frayed by pipe-fitting duty

[Socialist Christian]

http://www.forbes.com/markets/newswire/2003/11/21/rtr1157332.html

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WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S.-China trade tensions deepened on Friday with a U.S. International Trade Commission decision allowing anti-dumping duties on Chinese iron pipe fittings, capping a week when the two countries fought over textile trade.

The ITC completed a yearlong investigation by ruling in a 6-0 vote that two small American firms were harmed by China's sales of pipe fittings at below-market prices.

The vote paves the way for the U.S. Commerce Department to finalize U.S. duties expected to average about 11 percent on the iron pipe fittings used for natural gas, oil and water pipelines.

The $20 million worth of Chinese pipe-fitting shipments are dwarfed by China's textile and apparel exports to the United States, which are valued at about $11 billion a year