US proceeds with Section 301 tariffs
The US has announced it will go ahead with Section 301 tariffs on a number of commodity imports from China, including steel, aluminum, lithium-ion batteries, graphite and other critical minerals, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said in a Sept. 13 statement.
The USTR has set the tariffs at 25% on a range of commodities including steel, aluminum, lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, ores and concentrates of manganese, cobalt, chromium and tungsten; tungsten oxides, tungstates, carbides and powders; unwrought tantalum, chromium and indium including their powders: ferronickel, ferroniobium (max. 0.02% P or S, max 0.4% Si); and tin alloys, among others, with the tariffs to come into effect on or before Sept. 27, 2024.
US Commerce uncovers no dumping of French plate
In tariff developments, the US Commerce Department determined that certain carbon and alloy steel plate from France was not sold in the US at less than normal value during a period of review. As a result, Dillinger France was assigned a final weighted-average dumping margin of zero.
US finds China evaded tariffs on steel pins
US Commerce found that imports of unthreaded pins of alloy steel from China circumvented existing US antidumping and countervailing duty orders on Chinese carbon and alloy steel threaded rod. As a result, Commerce will require importers of Chinese unthreaded pins of alloy steel to certify that such pins will not be further processes into the subject alloy steel threaded rod.
EU body seeks clean deal
European steel industry association Eurofer has called for a radical “Clean Industrial Deal” in the EU, amid what it terms the “existential risk” currently facing the steel and manufacturing sectors. Eurofer Director General Axel Eggert highlighted, in particular, the rapid decline in the EU’s steel production to a record low of 126 million metric tons in 2023, significantly below the decade average of 150 MMt, adding that this downturn threatens not only steelmakers but also key industries like the automotive and renewable energy sectors.
Chinese carbon trading due in 2025
China’s aluminum, steel and cement sectors will officially start trading of compliance emission allowances in its national carbon market in 2025 to pay for their emissions incurred in 2024, the country’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment said in an action plan Sept. 9. China’s national compliance carbon market is the world’s largest national compliance market by emission volume covered. Currently, China’s national compliance market only covers power generation companies that have annual direct emission volume above 26,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. These generation utilities accounted for 5.1 billion tCO2e, or 40% of the country’s total carbon emissions.
India extends tariffs on pipes, tubes
India has extended countervailing duties on the imports of welded stainless-steel pipes and tubes from China and Vietnam to boost the domestic industry, the Ministry of Finance said in a notification dated Sept. 10. The five-year extension of an about 12% duty on imports from Vietnam and around 30% duty on inflows from China follows an earlier notification from Sept. 17, 2019. The duties aim to curb the unfair advantage enjoyed by exporters from China and Vietnam due to government subsidies.
Indian steel minister supports duty on Chinese imports
Indian Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Sept. 4 he will help to increase the duty on Chinese steel imports from the current 7.5% to 10%-12% to protect the domestic steel industry. “Whatever the problems in this growth of our steel industry, and about the China issue, I can understand, and I promise you […] that I will try to convince our Prime Minister and our Finance Ministry to look after it, from the 7.5% tax to 10%-12% tax [against Chinese steel imports],” Kumaraswamy said during the Indian Steel Association’s (ISA) Steel Conclave.
South Korea probes Chinese stainless steel plate
South Korea has started an antidumping investigation on stainless steel plate imported from China, a notice from the Korea Trade Commission showed Sept. 6. The plates in question have a width of 600 mm or more and a thickness of 4.75 mm or more and fall under the harmonized tariff schedule of Korea (HSK) codes 7219211010, 7219211090, 7219219000, 7219221010, 7219221090 and 7219229000. The probe resulted from an application made by South Korean stainless steel plate manufacturer DKC Co Ltd June 28, which alleged the Chinese steel products had cause material injury to the domestic sector.
Japan mulls emissions trading system by December
The Japanese government is set to launch a series of working group discussions to consider basic frameworks by around December for the country’s second phase of emissions trading system, which will be introduced from fiscal year 2026-27 (April-March). The first working group discussions will include hearings from the Japan Iron and Steel Federation, the Petroleum Association of Japan, the Japan Chemical Industry Association and the Federation of Electric Power Companies.
Australia reviews rebar tariffs on South Korea, Spain
Australia has begun a review on antidumping duties imposed on steel reinforcing bar from South Korea and Spain ahead of their expiry, the Anti-Dumping Commission said. The current tariffs are scheduled to expire on Nov. 19, 2025, after they were extended by five years on Nov. 19, 2020. The tariffs stand at 3.9% and 4% for South Korea and 8.2% for Spain, excluding steelmaker Nervacero SA.
