Tim Brightbill Discusses Clients’ Request for Probe of Steel Manufacturer’s Ties to Russian Oligarch

May 10, 2018

Timothy C. Brightbill, a partner in Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice, was quoted in American Metal Market’s (AMM) coverage of a request by eight U.S. line pipe mills for the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate ties between a Russian oligarch and steel manufacturer Evraz Plc.

Wiley Rein represents eight domestic line pipe suppliers in this matter: American Cast Iron Pipe, Berg, Dura-Bond, Skyline Steel, Stupp, Green Bayou Pipe, JSW Steel (USA) and Trinity Products. Mr. Brightbill submitted the petition on the clients’ behalf on May 7, as part of a trade case involving large-diameter welded pipe imported from six nations, including Canada.

The Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich, is the largest shareholder of Evraz, whose North American subsidiary makes large-diameter pipe from mills in Canada, according to the article. Mr. Abramovich is also on a list of individuals subject to potential sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

“We’re at an early point in the investigation. But we want Commerce to understand and fully explore these factors that we think are distorting the market and market pricing by Evraz out of Canada,” Mr. Brightbill said in an interview with AMM. “And we’re calling on them to thoroughly investigate, and we’re confident that they’ll do that.”