The U.S. International Trade Commission voted 6-0 in November that U.S. manufacturers of malleable-iron pipe fittings are threatened with material injury by imports that have been ruled dumped by the the U.S. Commerce Dept. The decision means that the Commerce Dept.'s anti-dumping duties (7.4-16%) will be fixed on five Chinese producers. Other Chinese sources of malleable-iron pipe fittings will be surcharged at 111%

Late in 2002, Anvill Intl. Inc., Portsmouth, NH, and Ward Manufacturing Inc., Blossburg, PA, filed the complaints with the Commerce Dept. The fittings are used exclusively in sprinkler systems. They claimed that Chinese producers shipped malleable-iron pipe fittings worth almost $20.4 million into the U.S. in 2001, versus imports worth $22.3 million from all other sources during the same period.

This ruling puts penalties in addition to existing anti-dumping duties imposed earlier this year, following a case filed by the same producers.