EU renes tariffs on steel tube fittings imports from Russia, South Korea & Malaysia
The European Union renews tariffs as high as 75% on steel tube fittings from Russia, South Korea and Malaysia for another five years to protect producers in the bloc such as Vallourec Fittings, Erne Fittings and Virgilio Cena & Figli from below-cost or dumped sales while letting similar duties against Turkey expire. The duty levels are 23.8% for Russian producers; 44% for all Korean manufacturers except TK Corp, which faces a 32.4% rate and 75% for all Malaysian producers except Anggerik Laksana, which is subject to a 59.2% levy and Pantech Steel Industries, which has a 49.9% rate.
The investigation did not reveal dumping for any of the exporting producers in Turkey during the review investigation period and did not establish any likelihood of recurrence of dumping should measures be allowed to lapse. The investigation concerning Turkey should therefore be terminated and measures with regard to Turkey repealed.
With respect to Russia, the Commission concluded that, on the basis of the information available during the review investigation period, dumping from Russia continued. Moreover, considering the large spare capacity in Russia, the export prices to third countries, the dumped price levels of TPF to the Union during the review investigation period, together with the attractiveness of the Union market for the Russian TPF producers, which is a major potential export market for Russia, the Commission also concluded that significant quantities of TPF from Russia would likely enter the Union market at dumped price levels, should measures be allowed to lapse. Thus, the Commission also concluded that there was evidence of recurrence of dumping.
With respect to Malaysia and Korea, given the important overcapacities in those countries, the limited growth potential on their domestic markets, and the attractiveness of the Union market for the TPF producers in these countries, it was concluded that imports from these countries of the product under review to the Union would increase in significant quantities should anti-dumping measures be allowed to lapse. The Commission found in addition that those imports would likely be made at dumped prices. The Commission therefore concluded that the expiry of the measures on TPF would be likely to lead to recurrence of dumping with respect to Korea and Malaysia.
The expiring EU levies on steel tube fittings from Turkey are as high as 16.7%, depending on the Turkish exporter.
The EU decision is the outcome of a probe opened in January 2018 into whether to reimpose the anti-dumping duties against the four countries; the five-year renewal of the levies against Russia, Korea and Malaysia will take effect on Thursday.
The product under review is the same as in the original investigation, namely tube or pipe fittings (other than cast fittings, flanges and threaded fittings), of iron or steel (not including stainless steel), with a greatest external diameter not exceeding 609.6 mm. of a kind used for butt-welding or other purposes, currently falling within CN codes ex 7307 93 11. ex 7307 93 19 and ex 7307 99 80 (TARIC codes 7307 93 11 91. 7307 93 11 93, 7307 93 11 94, 7307 93 11 95, 7307 93 11 99. 7307 93 19 91. 7307 93 19 93. 7307 93 19 94, 7307 93 19 95, 7307 93 19 99, 7307 99 80 92, 7307 99 80 93, 7307 99 80 94, 7307 99 80 95 and 7307 99 80 98
Source : Strategic Research Institute