The European Commission has started an antidumping investigation into bulb flat steel bar imports from China and Turkey, according to the official journal of the EU.
In early November, the Turkish Steel Producers’ Association received a letter from Turkey’s Trade Ministry saying the EC could launch a dumping investigation.
The EC will investigate non-alloy steel bulb flat steel bars up to 204 mm width, under HS code 7216.50.91, after a complaint from Spanish special hot-rolled steelmaker Laminados Losal, on behalf of the union industry of bulb flat, the EC said.
The investigation of dumping and injury will cover 12 months from October 2021 though September 2022, while the examination of relevant trends would look at the period beginning Jan. 1, 2019 and ending Sept. 30, 2022.
It was not due to take more than 14 months from the notice publication date, while provisional measures may be imposed not later than seven or eight months from the publication of the notice, the EC said.
An investigation could result in antidumping duties if it is found that bulb flat bar product imports from the two countries are being dumped and causing damage to the EU’s domestic market.
According to TCUD data,, Turkey’s January-September flat bar exports totaled 242,600 mt, down 21.5% year on year.
Turkey’s flat bar exports to the EU, however, remained relatively stable at 67,400 mt, with Romania and Germany remaining the top markets at 16,200 mt and 12,100 mt, respectively.
Turkish long steel pricing has been pressured by low demand. Platts, part of S&P Global, assessed Turkish exported rebar at $627.50/mt FOB on Nov. 15, down from an intra-year high of $960/mt FOB reached April 1.
— Cenk Can
