The US Department of Commerce announced in a preliminary proceeding that imports of steel rebar from Bulgaria are being made at prices below fair value under the Tariff Act of 1930, it became known from a notice published in the Federal Register, BTA reported.
The investigation covers the period from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 and was conducted within the framework of an anti-dumping control procedure. A dumping margin of 52.80 percent was preliminarily calculated for the Bulgarian producer “Promet Steel“ AD, which is the only company individually examined, with the same percentage applied to all other exporters from Bulgaria.
As a result, the US customs authorities will impose provisional measures, including the suspension of final customs clearance of the relevant imports and the requirement of cash deposits in an amount equal to the dumping margin established. These deposits function as a guarantee and in practice have an effect similar to a duty, until the investigation is concluded. Upon payment, the goods can be sold on the market.
The measure covers steel reinforcement, including bars or coils, regardless of their characteristics, excluding smooth round bars.
The producer requested a postponement of the final decision, which was granted by the US authorities, with the final conclusion expected within 135 days after the publication of the preliminary results.
In order to impose definitive anti-dumping duties, in addition to confirmation of dumping by the US Department of Commerce, a decision by the US International Trade Commission is required, which must establish whether these imports are causing material injury or threat of injury to the US industry. If this is confirmed, the provisional deposits can be converted into definitive duties.
When asked for comment, the Bulgarian company did not respond.