EU Imposes Fresh Anti-Dumping Tariffs on Chinese Steel

BRUSSELS—The European Union on Friday imposed anti-dumping tariffs on certain Chinese steel imports, as the bloc steps up efforts to protect European steelmakers struggling with overcapacity.

The duties range from 18.4% to 22.5% and apply to so-called rebars, steel products used to reinforce concrete.

European manufacturers in recent years have lodged multiple complaints that their Chinese competitors are exporting steel products to Europe at unfairly low prices. The EU carried out an investigation and at the end of January it imposed lower, provisional anti-dumping duties, which are now being replaced by the definitive duties.

Under World Trade Organization rules, the EU can impose anti-dumping duties on products from countries outside the bloc if an investigation demonstrates that these products enter the EU at prices below fair market value and cause injury to the EU industry.

The decision comes amid a continuing investigation into unfair trade practices by Chinese steel manufacturers, after a complaint lodged in March by European steel association Eurofer, which represents more than 25% of total EU rebar production. Eurofer on Friday said it welcomed the decision.

Currently the EU has 37 anti-dumping and antisubsidy measures in place in the steel sector, of which 15 concern China.

European industries say that the Chinese industrial policies allow local producers to pump out far more goods than its domestic market can consume. The result has been a flood of cheap products shipped to Europe, the U.S. and other developed markets.

China, the world’s largest steel producer, has doubled its exports to the EU over the past two years, while the bloc’s demand languishes below levels seen before the 2008 financial crisis. EU steel prices have fallen roughly 40% over the past two years.

News by : WSJ

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U.S. Stainless Steel Sheet and Strip Industry Encouraged by Commerce Department's Affirmative Preliminary Determination in China Subsidy Investigation

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2016 -- Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its preliminary determination that imports of stainless steel sheet and strip ("SSSS") from China are benefitting from unfair government subsidies.  As a result, it will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") to begin to require U.S. importers of SSSS from China to deposit estimated countervailing duties at the time of importation.  Further, based on its previously announced preliminary affirmative critical circumstances determination, the Commerce Department will instruct CBP to suspend liquidation of all entries of SSSS from China that were imported into the United States on or after the date that is 90 days prior the date of publication in the Federal Register of the affirmative preliminary countervailing duty determination, and to require U.S. importers to post security equal to the preliminary subsidy rates on those entries.

The Commerce Department's determination follows the filing, on February 12, 2016, of antidumping and countervailing duty petitions by domestic producers AK Steel Corporation (NYSE: AKS), Allegheny Ludlum, LLC d/b/a ATI Flat Rolled Products, an Allegheny Technologies company (NYSE: ATI), North American Stainless, and Outokumpu Stainless USA, LLC.

Based on information gathered to date, the Commerce Department calculated a preliminary subsidy margin of 57.30 percent of the value of the imported SSSS for Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., the sole Chinese respondent that was analyzed by the agency.  The Commerce Department assigned a preliminary subsidy margin of 193.12 percent to shipments of SSSS by all other producers and exporters in China, including Ningbo Baoxin Stainless Steel Co., Ltd. and Daming International Import Export Co., Ltd., both of which failed to participate in the Commerce Department's investigation after being selected as a mandatory respondents.  The Commerce Department investigated numerous subsidy programs based on allegations contained in the domestic industry's petition.

The next step in this trade action will be the Commerce Department's issuance of its final countervailing duty determination, which is likely to be completed on or about January 30, 2017.  In addition, the Commerce Department is currently scheduled to issue its preliminary antidumping determination on Monday, September 12, 2016.  If an affirmative preliminary antidumping determination is issued by the Commerce Department, U.S. importers will be required to post cash deposits or bonds on all future entries of SSSS from China in the amount of the subsidy and dumping margin calculated by the agency. 

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Source : PRNewswire