WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday said it will impose preliminary anti-dumping duties on tin-plated steel imports from Canada, Germany and China, sparing five other countries in a decision that drew some relief from food can manufacturers that had feared higher tariffs.The department said the highest preliminary anti-dumping duties of 122.5% will be imposed on tin mill steel imported from China, including the country’s largest producer, Baoshan Iron and Steel.The department will impose preliminary duties of 7.02% on tin mill imports from German producers, including Thyssenkrupp (TKAG.DE)
and 5.29% on imports from Canadian producers, including ArcelorMittal DOFASCO (MT.LU).No duties will be imposed on the shiny silver metal – widely used in cans for food, paint, aerosol products and other containers – imported from Britain, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey, the Commerce Department added.A Commerce Department official told reporters that producers in Canada, Germany and China were found to be selling tin mill steel at prices below those in their home markets. China’s rates were higher because a lack of cooperation from a major producer in the investigation led to an “adverse inference” determination, while other respondents could not prove that they were independent of the Chinese government, the official added.The closely watched case was initiated in February after a petition from a single U.S. steelmaker, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF.N), alleged foreign dumping in the tin-plate sector, which has seen several U.S. production facilities close in recent years.The Commerce Department in June announced preliminary anti-subsidy duties of 543% on tin mill imports from Baoshan Iron and Steel and 89% on those from all other Chinese producers as part of a separate, parallel investigation.The other countries cited in Thursday’s decision were not subject to anti-subsidy investigations.HIGHER COSTS?The Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group, argued prior to the decision that because U.S. steelmakers currently produce less than half of the tinplate needed for domestic can manufacturing, any new import duties will lead to higher material costs and food prices at a time when inflation remains elevated.A bipartisan letter from members of Congress in June also argued that high anti-dumping duties would raise costs for canned packaging for food and aerosol products and could help Chinese producers of canned goods, leading to increased canned food imports from China.But the duties were significantly less than initially feared. In its initial petition, Cleveland-Cliffs asked the Commerce Department to imposed anti-dumping duties of 79.6% on imports from Canada, 70.2% on Germany, 111.92% on Britain, up to 110.5% on South Korea, up to 296% on the Netherlands, up to 60% on Taiwan and up to 97.2% on Turkey.In a statement, the Can Manufacturers Institute said it was “thankful” that most of the high duties requested…
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