The European Commission has imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on two Chinese-origin steel derivative products, screws without heads and steel track shoes (STS), confirming provisional measures introduced earlier in the year, Kallanish notes.
From 23 October, a definitive anti-dumping duty was applied to imports of screws and bolts, whether or not with their nuts and washers, without heads, falling under CN codes 7318 15 42 and 7318 15 48 and originating in China. The decision followed an investigation initiated after a complaint by European fastener producers represented by the European Industrial Fasteners Institute (EIFI). The European Commission also confirmed the definitive collection of provisional duties and extended the measure to all registered imports of the product concerned.
The final duty levels vary by company: Zhejiang Junyue Standard Part Co. is subject to 54.7%, the Brother Group (Jiaxing High-enter Fasteners Co., Zhejiang Morgan Brother Technology Co., Jiaxing Brother Standard Part Co.) to 57.1%, and the Chinafar Group (Jiaxing Chinafar Standard Parts Co., Jiangsu Zhe Fasteners Co.) to 72.3%. Other cooperating companies are charged 59.8%, while all other exporters face the general duty rate of 72.3%, calculated on a cif Union border price basis before customs duty.
From 20 October, the Commission imposed a 62.5% definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of steel track shoes from China, following a complaint by Duferco Travi e Profilati. The regulation applies to certain steel shoes, with or without rubber pads, whether or not assembled in a track chain, classified under CN codes ex 8431 39 00, ex 8431 49 20 and ex 8431 49 80.
Larger cast STS used in heavy-duty machinery such as cranes and excavators were excluded after the Commission accepted Liebherr’s technical argument that such products are not produced in the EU. The measures also cover track groups and full track groups, but the 62.5% rate applies only to the track shoe component, which must represent at least 31% of the total product value declared at customs.
Distributors’ association EUROMETAL says it welcomes the measures. It has recently intensified its calls for the European Commission to broaden the revised safeguard measures to include steel derivatives and downstream products. The association warned that the exclusion of derivatives risks creating a “dangerous imbalance – protecting upstream production while exposing downstream sectors to unfair competition”.
Elina Virchenko UAE
