Continuing the wave of steel companies scrambling to protect their domestic market against the onslaught of cheap steel from China, the four principal US producers of stainless steel sheet and strip, filed petitions alleging that the current level of China steel imports are causing material injury to the domestic industry.

AK Steel Corporation, ATI Flat Rolled Products, North American Stainless, and Outokumpu Stainless USA, Limited Liability Company filed its petition for relief in the face of stainless steel imports from China increasing by 133 percent since 2013.

The Commerce Department will determine whether to initiate the anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations within 20 days and the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) will reach a preliminary determination of material injury or threat of material injury within 45 days, with the entire investigative process expected to take around a year.