Steel cases kept EU trade defense officials busy last year

Iron and steel products accounted for all but two of the 15 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations initiated by the European Commission during 2016, its latest report on trade defense activity revealed.

China was the exporting country in six of these cases, covering seamless pipe, hot rolled coil, heavy plate, corrosion-resistant (galvanized) sheet and cast iron articles. Exporting countries targeted in the other newly initiated cases were India, Belarus, Brazil, Iran, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine.

Nine provisional measures were imposed during 2016, of which seven were on steel products. These were on rebar, plate, HRC and seamless pipe from China, CR coil from China and Russia, and rebar from Belarus.

Seven definitive duties were imposed (six dumping and one countervailing), of which all but two were on ferrous products. These were on ductile iron pipe from India (AD and CVD), rebar and CRC from China, and CRC from Russia.

As at 31 December 2016, a total of 95 provisional and definitive anti-dumping measures were in force along with 12 countervailing measures. Of these, 43 AD measures and 4 CVDs were against steel products.

At the same date 20 new investigations were pending against various iron and steel imports from eleven countries. Another three review investigations were pending.

Henry Cooke, PLATTS