US gov't sets duties on steel pipe imports from Korea, 8 others; Favors US producers, unions

The U.S. government has imposed duties on imports of steel pipe from South Korea, India and other 7 countries, ruling in favor of U.S. steel producers and unions that had complained those countries were unfairly flooding the American market.

The Commerce Department said Friday that it had found that dumping of the steel pipe imports into the U.S. harmed competition. The steel pipe is used mainly in drilling oil and gas wells, and the imports, especially from South Korea, have figured heavily in the recent drilling boom in the southwestern U.S.

Companies including U.S. Steel Corp. as well as the United Steelworkers union had pressed the department to reverse its preliminary decision in February not to impose the duties on South Korea. It had imposed duties on the other countries.