Stainless steel entering the EU from Indonesia and certain other regions is subject to immediate registration after the Commission launched an investigation in response to concerns raised by the European Steel Manufacturers Association (Eurofer).
The measure follows the imposition of both anti-dumping and countervailing duties that have been applied to Indonesian goods since November 2021 and March 2022 respectively.
The Commission said Eurofer's request for an investigation possible circumvention contains "sufficient evidence that existing anti-dumping measures against imports of eligible products are being circumvented."
It states that the change in trade structure involving exports from Indonesia, as well as Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam, to the European The union came after the introduction of existing anti-dumping measures.
Evidence from Eurofer suggests that Indonesian stainless steel plates and hot-rolled flat products were transported to Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam for finishing or assembly, the Commission said.
The value of the stainless steel used still represents over 60% of the value of finished products exported to the EU.
Stakeholders are now being asked to provide evidence to the Commission's investigation process, which will take nine months.
Eurofer welcomed the investigation and immediate registration of imports from Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam, which could result in the retroactive application of existing duties.
Data analyzed by MEPS International showed that imports of Indonesian cold-rolled stainless steel to Europe peaked at 38,205 tons in the fourth quarter of 2021. By the second quarter of 2022, it decreased by 74.4%, to 9,781 tons. In the second quarter of this year, a total of 608 tons of material entered the EU directly from Indonesia.
Vietnam was the only one of the three countries under investigation to record an increase in direct exports to the EU since the fourth quarter of 2021 through the second quarter of this year. Its volumes rose from 11,298 tons to 18,883 tons.
Taiwan's exports fell from 63,100 tons to 34,353 tons over the same period, while Turkey's exports fell only slightly from 26,791 tons to 21,658 tons.
