International Trade Commission Drops US Steel's Antitrust Claims Against Chinese Steelmakers

Derek Ludwin and James O'Connell are quoted by The American Lawyer in an article examining a decision by the ITC stating that United States Steel cannot bring antitrust claims against 40 Chinese steel manufacturers over alleged price-fixing. Ludwin, who represents Baosteel America with O'Connell and Sturgis Sobin, says that even though Section 337 is not often used to bring antitrust claims before the ITC, U.S. Steel’s complaint “reflected a renewed interest” in raising those claims. He and O'Connell agree that the opinion provides significant guidance for future litigants. “When an antitrust claim is brought by a private complainant, that private complainant should have to meet the same requirements they would if they brought that antitrust claim in federal court,” O’Connell remarks. “Antitrust is antitrust.”