WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SG/N/16/USA/4 
14 October 2005 
 (05-4719) 
Committee on Safeguards Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF REQUEST FOR CONSULTATIONS 
PURSUANT TO SECTION 16.1 OF PART I OF THE PROTOCOL 
ON THE ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA  
 
Request for Consultations from the United States  
  
 The following communication, dated 14 October 2005, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the United States. 
 
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 On 7 October 2005, the United States requested  consultations with the Government of the 
People’s Republic of China, pursuant to Section 16.1 of  Part I of the Protocol on the Accession of the 
People’s Republic of China, with a view to seeki ng a mutually satisfactory solution regarding market 
disruption to U.S. domestic producers caused by im ports of certain circular welded non-alloy steel 
pipe of Chinese origin into the United States.  
 The consultations request was made follo wing a determination by the United States 
International Trade Commission (ITC), pursuant to section 421 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2451), that certain circular welded non-a lloy steel pipe of Chinese origin is being imported 
into the United States in such increased quantities or under such cond itions as to cause or threaten to 
cause market disruption to the domestic produ cers of like or directly competitive products 
(Investigation No. TA-421-6, Circular Welded Non-alloy Steel Pipe from China).   
 
 For purposes of its investigation, the ITC consid ered circular welded non-alloy steel pipe to 
include certain welded carbon quality steel pipes and tub es, of circular cross-section, with an outside 
diameter of 0.372 inches (9.45 mm) or more, but not more than 16 inches (406.4 mm), regardless of wall thickness, surface finish (black , galvanized, or painted), end fi nish (plain end, beveled end, 
grooved, threaded, or threaded and coupled), or in dustry specification (ASTM, proprietary, or other), 
generally known as standard pipe and structural pipe (and they may also be referred to as structural or 
mechanical tubing).  The term carbon quality steel may include certain low alloy steel imported as other alloy steel pipes and tubes.  Products not in cluded in this investigation are mechanical tubing 
(whether or not cold-drawn) provided for in HTS su b-heading 7306.30.50, tube and pipe hollows for 
redrawing provided for in HTS 7306.30.5035, or finished electrical conduit provided for in HTS 
7306.30.5028.  API line pipe used in oil or gas a pplications requiring API certifications is also not 
included in this investigation.  Similarly, pipe produced to the API specifications for oil country 
tubular goods use are not included in this investig ation.  The subject imported products are currently 
provided for in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) sub-headings 7306.30.10 and 7306.30.50.  Specifically, the various HTS sta tistical reporting numbers under which the subject 
standard pipe has been provided for since 1 January 1992, are as follows:  7306.30.1000, 
7306.30.5025, 7306.30.5032, 7306.30.5040, 7306.30.5055, 7306.30.5085, and 7306.30.5090.  
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