Steel: The Commission acts against avoidance of antidumping measures

The Commission today extended its anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese corrosion-resistant steel to a larger selection of products. The decision aims to counter circumvention of the existing EU trade defence measures. Laying grounds for its 2019 steel safeguards review, the Commission discovered that imports of Chinese corrosion-resistant steel subject to antidumping measures almost disappeared. On the other hand, imports of other corrosion-resistant products increased to as much as 1 million tonnes or €650 million a year. The Commission therefore decided to take a closer look at this trade pattern. A specific anti-circumvention investigation now confirmed that the anti-dumping measures were the only reason for that shift. To prevent further sales of only slightly modified Chinese products at dumped prices, the Commission today extends its antidumping duties to corrosion-resistant steel products modified by plating or coating by magnesium, an alloy with silicon, an additional surface treatment such as oiling or sealing, or a slightly modified content of carbon, aluminium, niobium, titanium, and/or vanadium. The measure will apply to all Chinese exporters with the exception of one cooperating company. The Commission uses the EU trade defence legal framework to its full extent to restore fair conditions for EU steel producers. The measures published today are an example of that. For more information, see the anti-circumvention regulation and the EU trade defence webpage.