The U.K.'s Department for International Trade expanded antidumping and countervailing duties on hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel from China for another five years. In a pair of notices, the DIT said the duties will now expire April 7, 2027. The countervailing duties range from 4.6% to 35.9%, including a 35.9% rate for all other exporters not given an individual rate. The antidumping duties range from zero to 31.3%.

A World Trade Organization dispute panel issued a report Aug. 24 concluding the panel's work following China and Australia's agreement regarding China's antidumping and countervailing duties on Australian barley.

The EU this week launched an investigation into whether certain imports of biodiesel from Indonesia -- consigned from China and the U.K. -- are circumventing the EU’s countervailing duty measures. The bloc began the probe after receiving a July request from the European Biodiesel Board, which showed “sufficient evidence” that the imports may be violating the CV duties, the EU said Aug. 17.

Brazil and Canada recently announced antidumping and countervailing duty actions and decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Aug. 11.

The EU renewed the antidumping duties on tungsten carbide from China for another five years after an investigation showed the European industry would be harmed from dumped imports if the duties lapsed, the Directorate-General for Trade announced Aug. 9. Tungsten carbide is used to make hard metal tools in the "construction, mining, automotive and defence industries."

The European Commission doubled the antidumping duties on optical fiber cables from China following an investigation that found Chinese exporters "were attempting to impede the effects of the original measures," the Directorate-General for Trade announced Aug. 9. The commission said Chinese optical fiber cable exporters deliberately dropped their prices to bar the effects of the original duties, in place since November 2021. The new duties on optical fiber cable entering the EU from China will range from 39.4% to 88% -- twice the original duties and "the maximum increase allowed."

China will rescind its antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of Australian barley, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced Aug. 4, according to an unofficial translation. The duties had “effectively blocked” Australian shipments of barley since the measures were first announced in 2020, Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell said in a statement welcoming the news. “The removal of duties is the result of work by government and industry to resolve this matter,” Farrell said. China said the duties were officially removed Aug. 5.

The U.K.'s Department for International Trade in an Aug. 2 notice suspended the antidumping duties on hot-rolled flat iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel goods from Iran or Russia, where those products are subject to the tariff-rate quota on steel goods. The effect is that antidumping duties will be charged on items until the import quota is exceeded. After that, only a portion of the AD exceeding the safeguard duty is charged, the notice said. The duties range from 5.3% to 33% for Russian companies, and are 17.9% for Iranian companies.

The EU on July 28 added nine individuals to its sanctions regime covering those who commit human rights abuses and sustain armed conflict. The restrictions cover nine Congolese and Rwandan people who are charged with carrying out serious human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the European Council said. The people include members of non-state militant groups M23, Twirwaneho, ADF, APCLS, CODECO/ALC and FDLR/FOCA. In addition, a member of the Congolese Armed Forces and one member of the Rwanda Defense Force were listed.

The World Trade Organization's dispute settlement body during its July 28 meeting agreed to the EU's request to create a compliance panel concerning whether the U.S. fully complied with a prior panel ruling on its countervailing duties on ripe olives from Spain. During the meeting, the EU said further action was needed given the U.S. failure to fully implement the ruling and engage with the EU, a Geneva-based trade official said in an email. The U.S. said it was disappointed the bloc requested the panel, adding that under a procedural understanding between it and the EU, the U.S. accepts the compliance panel, the official said.