The United States imported $2.7bn worth of the steel pipe used in oil and natural gas production in 2008, making it the highest-value US trade injury case on record.
But because of slumping demand and US duties already imposed in the case, imports of the product from China fell last year to about $1.1bn.
Now the US is slapping anti-dumping duties ranging from 30 per cent to 99 per cent on remaining imports from China.
American protectionism is ratcheting up another notch.