EC extends dumping duties on Chinese coated steel

The European Commission extended the antidumping (AD) duties on imports of Chinese corrosion-resistant steel to a larger selection of products Aug. 5 in an effort to counter circumvention of the existing duties.

Laying ground for its 2019 steel safeguards review, the EC found that imports of Chinese corrosion-resistant steel subject to AD measures almost disappeared, however, imports of other corrosion-resistant products increased to as much as 1 million mt or Eur650 million a year, the EC said.

An anti-circumvention investigation confirmed that the existing AD measures were the only reason for the shift in imports, the EC said.

To prevent the sale of only slightly modified Chinese products at dumped prices, the EC is extending AD 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 EC said. It did not name the exempted company.

The EC confirmed AD duties of 17.2%-27.9% for corrosion resistant coated steel from China in February 2018.

— Justine Coyne