EU imposes definitive anti-dumping duties on Turkish HRC

The European Commission (EC) has decided to impose definitive anti-dumping duties of 4.7%-7.3% on imports of hot-rolled coil from Turkey.

According to an EC document dated April 23, major Turkish HRC producer Colakoglu is subject to the highest definitive duty of 7.3%, while Turkey’s largest integrated steel producer, Oyak Maden Metalurji Group (Erdemir and Isdemir), has a duty rate of 4.9%.

Habas has the lowest duty at 4.7%, while Borcelik and Agir Haddecilik will face a duty of 5.6%. All other Turkish companies will have a definitive duty of 7.3%.

“The Commission informed all interested parties of the essential facts and considerations on the basis of which it intended to impose a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel originating in Turkey,” the EC said, adding that all parties were granted a period within which they could make comments on the final disclosure.

The EC launched the investigation in mid-May 2020 following a request by European steelmakers group Eurofer. The EC then announced on Jan. 7, 2021 that it had imposed provisional anti-dumping duties of 4.8%-7.6%.

The EU is Turkey’s main HRC export market and the final duty decision could limit further Turkish mills’ exports, which were already negatively effected by EU trade barriers.

The EC is investigating to determine whether the current system of EU steel import safeguards should continue after its expiry on June 30.

Although Turkish steel producers suspended their countervailing duty reviews following the EC’s April 7 decision to officially terminate the CVD investigation on HRC imports from Turkey, the country may respond to the EU’s latest anti-dumping move with countermeasures.

Turkey officially started a dumping investigation against hot-rolled coil imports from the EU region and South Korea with a presidential decree published in the country’s official gazette Jan. 9.

— Cenk Can