US Steel files complaint with ITC regarding Chinese steelmakers

Today United States Steel Corporation filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) to initiate an investigation under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, against the largest Chinese steel producers and their distributors.  The 337 complaint alleges illegal unfair methods of competition and seeks the exclusion of all unfairly traded Chinese steel products from the US market. 

The complaint alleges three causes of action: the illegal conspiracy to fix prices, the theft of trade secrets and the circumvention of trade duties by false labeling.
  
"We have said that we will use every tool available to fight for fair trade," said President and Chief Executive Officer Mario Longhi. "With today's filing, we continue the work we have pursued through countervailing and antidumping cases and pushing for increased enforcement of existing laws." 

Section 337 provides relief in light of specific actions, the threat or effect of which is to destroy or substantially injure a domestic industry, prevent the establishment of such an industry, or restrain or monopolize trade and commerce in the US. The actions covered under Section 337 include the infringement of intellectual property rights (patents and copyrights) as well as unfair methods of competition and unfair acts in the importation and sale of products in the US. The ITC remedy is the exclusion of the unfairly traded products from the US market.

The International Trade Commission has up to 30 days to evaluate the petition for relief and decide whether to initiate the case.  If the matter proceeds, an administrative law judge is then assigned to the case.  During the evidentiary discovery process, the parties may seek the issuance of nationwide subpoenas and orders for the production of relevant documents.