EC to announce results of HDG steel antidumping probe late Jan: sources

The European Commission will announce the results of its ongoing probe into dumping of hot-dip galvanized steel late January, Turkish industry sources told S&P Global Platts, adding there will be meetings between the EC and Turkish coated coil producers in the first weeks of the new year.

Turkish mills have submitted the required files to the EC, a manager of a Turkish coated coil producer told S&P Global Platts, adding that a meeting with the EC was set for mid-January. “We do not expect the EC will officially announce the result of the investigation before the end of January,” the manager said.

Another coated coil producer manager also confirmed a meeting with the EC, in the second week of January, saying the commission will also hold meetings with other coated coil producers.

The EC opened an investigation into dumping of HDG from Turkey and Russia on June 24 to determine whether the products under investigation were being dumped in 2020 and if those imports caused injury to EU producers.

In addition, the EC said the examination of trends relevant for the assessment of injury will cover the period from Jan. 1, 2017, to the end of the investigation period.

Provisional measures in the investigation, if any, will be imposed by the EC late January, while definitive measures are scheduled to be announced on July 20, according to a document seen by Platts.

Although demand from the EU, particularly from southern European member states, supported Turkish mills’ coated coil exports in the first 10 months of 2021,the investigation has begun to raise some concerns among buyers in recent weeks, sources said.

According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) data, Turkish mills exported 1.94 million mt of coated coil, mostly HDG coil, to global markets in widths of 600 mm and above over January-October, some 570,000 mt higher year on year, while EU countries remained Turkey’s top coated coil export destinations by far.

Spain was Turkey’s main coated coil buyer over January-October, importing 507,400 mt, 86% higher year on year, while Belgium imported 200,700 mt from Turkey, up 11%.

— Cenk Can