The US has initiated a probe into vanadium imports to determine whether the “present quantities and circumstances" of imports threaten to impair national security, US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced on Tuesday.
The investigation follows a petition filed by domestic producers AMG Vanadium and US Vanadium, requesting an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
The petitioners assert that domestic industry is adversely impacted by unfairly traded low-priced imports, limited export markets due to value-added tax regimes in other vanadium producing countries, and the distortionary effect of Chinese and Russian industrial policies.