Platts reported that Argentina's National Commission of Foreign Trade, or CNCE, will continue a dumping investigation into imports of steel pipe from China, according to the country's secretary of trade and commerce, Miguel Braun. The products covered by the investigation are welded and seamless pipes for oil sector use with a diameter of up to 406.4 mm and wall thickness up to 12.7 mm, under the local rules of API 5L/ISO 3183, except for stainless pipes, all coming from China.

Products are under codes 7304.19.00 to 7306.19.00. The alleged dumping margin of the present investigation is 137.89% for Chinese imports.

The official gazette said that "CNCE recommended that the investigation to continue without the application of provisional measures.”

However, duties may be applied as prevention, or retroactive duties can be applied if importers try to advance their purchases to avoid final antidumping duties.

CNCE started the investigation following an October 2016 complaint by Siderca-Tenaris and SIAT, which is controlled by the Techint group, and local producer Tubhier.

The investigation could take up to three years to reach its final decision.