EU starts anti-dumping case into CRC from 4 countries
The European Commission has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of cold-rolled flat steel originating from India, Japan, Turkey, Vietnam and Taiwan, according to an entry in the Official Journal of the European Union dated 18 September.
The Commission also intends to instruct customs to start registration of the steel under investigation to allow retroactive introduction of definitive duties.
Earlier this month, McCloskey reported that the case into cold-rolled coil from India, Japan Vietnam and Taiwan, China as well as from Turkey was forthcoming.
The probe was started following a complaint lodged by the European steel association Eurofer on behalf of EU steelmakers on 4 August this year. Eurofer provided evidence that the imports in question had increased overall in absolute terms and in terms of market share and that the material sold harmed the EU steel industry.
The complainant also alleged that the raw materials in used in cold-rolled steel exports are subject to export duties and restrictions in the countries of origin, and since they account for more than 17% of total costs this indicated a market distortion. The raw materials in question are iron ore and steel scrap in India, and the same raw materials and coal in Vietnam.
The products subject to the investigation are currently classified under CN codes ex 7209 15 00, 7209 16 90, 7209 17 90, 7209 18 91, ex 7209 18 99, ex 7209 25 00, 7209 26 90, 7209 27 90, 7209 28 90, 7211 23 30, ex 7211 23 80, ex 7211 29 00, 7225 50 80, 7226 92 00 (TARIC codes 7209 15 00 90, 7209 18 99 90, 7209 25 00 90, 7211 23 80 19, 7211 23 80 95, 7211 23 80 99, 7211 29 00 19, 7211 29 00 99).
The EU authorities will make a definitive decision in the case no later than 14 months after the case was opened, and the provisional measures will be imposed no later than within seven months.
Maria Tanatar Associate Director, Steel and Green Steel
EU Proposes Provisional Duties on HRC Imports from Japan, Egypt, and Vietnam – India Exempted
The anti-dumping investigation was started after the European steel association Eurofer lodged a complaint last June on behalf of European producers, alleging that HRC imports from four countries — India, Japan, Egypt and Vietnam — are being dumped and have been causing material injury to the European steel industry, Fastmarkets reported.
The pre-disclosure document, revealing proposed provisional duties for each origin, was made available on March 14. Provisional duties are set to be imposed as of April 7.
The AD probe is expected to be conducted by early October, with definitive measures to follow.
In the meantime, the highest duties were proposed for Japanese suppliers: 32% for JFE Steel Corporation and Daido Steel Co., Ltd, and 33% for Nippon Steel Corporation and all other companies — apart from Tokyo Steel, which got a relatively low duty of 6.9%.
For Egypt, the provisional duty rate for Ezz Steel and all other companies was set at 15.6%.
For Vietnam, provisional duties were set at 12.1% for Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation and all other companies apart from Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Company — no duty was proposed on its imports.
And, surprisingly, no provisional duties were suggested for Indian companies.
These four countries altogether supplied 3.9 million tonnes of HRC to the EU in 2024, accounting for 41.2% of total HRC imports to the bloc, Global Trade Tracker stats showed.
Market sources had split views on the potential market effect.
Notably, several sources suggested that safeguard caps, in combination with the duties, will limit imports to the EU, making overseas bookings increasingly risky for EU buyers.
Adjustments to steel safeguard measures were made available on Tuesday March 11.
For HRC, the cap per country over the tariff rate quota (TRQ) volume initially available in each quarter has been reduced from 15%, originally proposed in July, to 13%.
On top of that, quarterly quota allocations have also been reduced. For example, for India, which has an individual quarterly quota, the allocation for April-June 2025 was cut by 24.6%. And for “other countries” — under which Egypt, Vietnam and Japan fall — the allocation was cut by 8.4%.
“It’s like gambling these days; when you book HRC from overseas mills, you don’t know how much it’s going to cost you in the end,” one buyer said.
Other sources said that the effect will be limited for some origins because, for example, Vietnamese material “will be manageable even with a duty, just like Turkish HRC is now,” a trader in Italy said.
Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled coil, import, cfr main port Northern Europe was €560-580 per tonne on March 14, stable week on week.
Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at €636.19 per tonne on March 14, up by €0.10 per tonne from €636.09 per tonne on March 13.
The Northern European index was up by €5.25 per tonne week on week and by €32.86 per tonne month on month.
EU proposes provisional HRC AD on three countries
The European Commission has proposed provisional anti-dumping duties on hot-rolled coil (HRC) imports on certain countries, according to letter of pre-disclosure of preliminary findings dated 14 March, seen by Kallanish.
The letter states that the summary of duties is for informational purposes only and does not prejudge the Commission’s final decision.
Interested parties are given three working days to submit comments on the pre-disclosure findings.
India proposed not to impose any duties, while Egypt could face a duty of 15.6% including producer Ezz Steel Company.
Japan’s Nippon Steel Corporation and all other companies could be subject to a 33% duty, and Daido Steel and JFE Steel Corporation are both set at 32%, while Tokyo Steel faces a lower duty of 6.9%.
Vietnam’s Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation and all other companies are facing to a 12.1% duty. However, Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Company may be exempt from the duties.
“These are proposed duties. When finally published, we will understand if Hoa Phat gets zero and if they are retroactive,” a market participant commented.
The provisional duties apply once agreed to flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel, or other alloy steel, whether or not in coils, including cut-to-length and narrow strip products, not further worked than hot-rolled, not clad, plated, or coated, originating in Egypt, Japan, and Vietnam.
These products are currently classified under CN codes 7208 10 00, 7208 25 00, 7208 26 00, 7208 27 00, 7208 36 00, 7208 37 00, 7208 38 00, 7208 39 00, 7208 40 00, 7208 52 10, 7208 52 99, 7208 53 10, 7208 53 90, 7208 54 00, 7211 13 00, 7211 14 00, 7211 19 00, ex 7225 19 10 (TARIC code 7225 19 10 90), 7225 30 90, ex 7225 40 60 (TARIC code 7225 40 60 90), 7225 40 90, ex 7226 19 10 (TARIC codes 7226 19 10 91, 7226 19 10 95), 7226 91 91, and 7226 91 99.
| Country | Company | Provisional anti- dumping duty (%) |
| Egypt | Ezz Steel Company | 15.6 |
| Egypt | All other companies | 15.6 |
| India | All companies | n/a |
| Japan | Nippon Steel Corporation | 33.0 |
| Japan | Tokyo Steel | 6.9 |
| Japan | Daido Steel | 32.0 |
| Japan | JFE Steel Corporation | 32.0 |
| Japan | All other companies | 33.0 |
| Vietnam | Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation | 12.1 |
| Vietnam | All other companies* | 12.1 |
* It is proposed not to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports from Hoa Phat Dung Quat Steel Joint Company.
Elina Virchenko Turkey , Anna Low Singapore
EU Commission proposes provisional AD duties on HRC imports from Egypt, Japan, Vietnam
The European Commission said in a March 14 statement that it proposed to apply provisional antidumping duties ranging from 6.9% to 33% on its imports of flat hot-rolled coil steel products from Egypt, Japan and Vietnam.
In view of comparable dumping margins revealed by the AD investigation into the respective imports, the Commission proposes 12.1% and 15.6% duties for HRC originating, respectively, in Vietnam and Egypt.
The duties suggested for Japanese coils are significantly steeper except for Tokyo Steel, which faces 6.9%, but Daido Steel and JFE Steel Corp. are challenged with 32% and all the rest, including Nippon Steel, with 33% AD charges to be levied on their HRC sales to the EU.
HRC imports from India are part of the same investigation too, but no dumping margin has been identified so far, following the EU statement.
The proposed duties will not apply to stainless and grain-oriented silicon electrical steel, and tool and high-speed steel strip, as well as sheets in thicknesses exceeding 10mn and widths of 600mm or more.
