Brussels, 12 February 2016 – The European Steel Association (EUROFER) welcomes the measures on Cold-Rolled Flat (CRF) products but criticises extremely low level of duties on Chinese steel imports.
The Commission found dumping margins of 19.8% to 26.2% for CRF steel imports from Russia and 52.7% to 59.1% from China. While the provisional duties for Russia reflect the full dumping margin for that country, the duties for China are set at a level of only between 13.8% and 16%.
“The extremely low level of import duties for China may not stop the flood of Chinese CRF imports. This is a result of the lesser-duty rule applied by the EU. There is almost no other country in the world that gives such a favour to unfair imports. The US would most likely apply a duty at the full range of 59% more in a similar case. The EU must therefore urgently remove the lesser-duty rule to effectively address the Chinese steel trade distortion as the root cause of the EU steel crises. Member states can do this swiftly as a relevant Commission proposal is on the table”, said Axel Eggert, Director General of EUROFER.
“If China were to be granted Market Economy Status (MES) by the EU, this would further undermine the effectiveness of the EU’s Trade Defence Instruments. Thousands of steel workers and their employers are accordingly marching on Brussels on Monday 15 February to call for fair trade and to put off the granting of MES to China until the country meets the EU’s criteria to be considered a market economy”, concluded Mr Eggert.
Cold-rolled flat steel products are used in a variety of applications, mainly in manufacturing, such as packaging and automotive, but also in construction.
About the European Steel Association (EUROFER)
EUROFER is located in Brussels and was founded in 1976. It represents the entirety of steel production in the European Union. EUROFER members are steel companies and national steel federations throughout the EU. The major steel companies and national steel federations in Switzerland and Turkey are associate members.
About the European steel industry
The European steel industry is a world leader in innovation and environmental sustainability. It has a turnover of around €170 billion and directly employs 320,000 highly-skilled people, producing on average 170 million tonnes of steel per year. More than 500 steel production sites across 24 EU Member States provide direct and indirect employment to millions more European citizens. Closely integrated with Europe’s manufacturing and construction industries, steel is the backbone for development, growth and employment in Europe.
Steel is the most versatile industrial material in the world. The thousands of different grades and types of steel developed by the industry make the modern world possible. Steel is 100% recyclable and therefore is a fundamental part of the circular economy. As a basic engineering material, steel is also an essential factor in the development and deployment of innovative, CO2-mitigating technologies, improving resource efficiency and fostering sustainable development in Europe.