US extends anti-tax evasion investigation into Vietnamese steel pipes imports

The US Department of Commerce has extended the time to consider requests for investigation into the charge on trade remedy tax evasion regarding some steel pipe products, mostly those coded HS 7306.61 and 7306.30 imported from Vietnam, for another 30 days.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)
Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

Accordingly, the consideration will last until July 28 instead of July 1 as announced earlier.

In their lawsuit, larges steel pipe manufacturers in the US accused Vietnam of importing hot rolled steel (HRS), the main raw material for producing steel pipes, from the mainland China, Taiwan (China), the Republic of Korea and India, and then simply processing it into steel pipes for export to the US in order to evade the respective trade remedy tax that the US is levying on the above-said countries.

The Trade Remedies Authority of Vietnam has recommended that Vietnamese businesses involved continue to review production and export activities of the investigated products, especially the HRS raw material sources.

It also advised the firms to study the US’s regulations on tax evasion investigation procedures and to strictly and fully comply with the US agency’s requirements during the course of the investigation, if any.