The latest US-China trade dispute - this time it's steel pipe - may not necessarily clear out vessel holds and drive down rates, but it will probably add more uncertainty to the super-volatile dry bulk market.rnThe US International Trade Commission voted unanimously on 30 December to impose duties of 10-16% on Chinese-made steel pipe to offset Chinese government subsidies that allow $2.8Bn worth of pipe exports into the US to sell at huge discounts.rnThe tax will be imposed on some 2M tonnes of imports, roughly 33% of a 6.1M tonne US market. The type of pipe in dispute, which is used by oil and gas companies to line wells or carry product to consumers, is bundled in sections and transported to the US West and Gulf coasts primarily in bulkers and tweendeckers.
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