China is blatantly skirting U.S. trade laws, in some cases as U.S. Customs officials watch the evasions happening "in front of their noses," according to the top executive at John Maneely Co. (JMC).

Chinese companies are skirting duties on steel pipe and tube products ranging from ornamental tubing and galvanized fence tubing to standard pipe, said Barry Zekelman, president and chief executive officer of Beachwood, Ohio-based JMC.

Recent trade actions taken by U.S. companies against imports of Chinese oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and line pipe have led to increased attempts to skirt potential duties in those sectors as well, Zekelman told AMM. "The circumvention increases when the (trade) cases come on. They (China) just look for other ways to attack our shores."

The Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI) plans to issue a press release on the subject Tuesday, said Roger Schagrin,...