The European Commission initiated an antidumping investigation into electrolytic chromium coated steel products from China and Brazil, it said in a Sept. 24 notice. Acting on a complaint from the European Steel Association, the commission will look into whether “flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, plated or coated with chromium oxides or with chromium and chromium oxides” are being sold at less than fair value and thereby harming the domestic industry. Comments on the product scope will be accepted by Oct. 4. The period under review is July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.
Argentina and Peru recently made antidumping duty decisions on products from China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 24.
Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade will open an investigation into evasion of trade remedies for sugar products from Thailand, the state-run CustomsNews said, after receiving a petition from the Vietnam Sugarcane and Sugar Association and other domestic cane sugar refineries. The petition claims Thai producers are skirting antidumping and anti-subsidy duties on the subject merchandise by importing it through Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar. The relevant AD and anti-subsidy duties were imposed on June 15.
The World Trade Organization circulated the agenda for the Sept. 27 meeting of the dispute settlement body, which includes a briefing on the implementation status of the dispute resolutions for the U.S.'s antidumping duties on hot-rolled steel products from Japan, Section 110(5) of the U.S. Copyright Act, the U.S.'s antidumping and countervailing duties on large residential washers from South Korea, and certain methodologies and their application to antidumping proceedings involving China. The DSB will also hear about the U.S.'s Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, and will receive a statement from the U.S. about the European Union's measures affecting trade in large civil aircraft. China will also issue a statement regarding the panel report in the dispute over the U.S.'s safeguard measures on solar panel imports.
Argentina and Canada recently took antidumping and countervailing duty actions on products from China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 21. Argentina renewed its antidumping duty order on certain ceramic and porcelain tableware from China, which will continue to be subject to a duty of $3.71/kg. Canada is seeking comments by Oct. 12 on whether it should begin an expiry review of antidumping and countervailing duty orders on certain Chinese “solder joint pressure pipe fittings and solder joint drainage, waste and vent pipe fittings,” HKTDC said.
The European Commission commenced, on its own initiative, a partial interim review of the countervailing duties on imports of rainbow trout from Turkey, it said Sept. 20. The commission is reviewing product described as “rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) live weighing 1, 2 kg or less each; or fresh, chilled, frozen and/or smoked: in the form of whole fish (with heads on), whether or not gilled, whether or not gutted, weighing 1,2 kg or less each; or with heads off, whether or not gilled, whether or not gutted, weighing 1 kg or less each; or in the form of fillets weighing 400 g or less each originating in the Republic of Turkey.” The commission said it is conducting the review because “there is sufficient evidence” that the circumstances with regard to subsidization “on the basis of which the existing measures were imposed have changed and that these changes are of a lasting nature.” The Turkish government enacted these changes in 2016, specifically making "significant changes on the structure and the terms of implementation of the subsidies granted by the Turkish Government to producers of rainbow trout." Those changes "led to a decrease of direct subsidies received by Turkish rainbow trout producers," the notice said.
An antidumping duty on stainless steel cold-rolled flat products from China and Taiwan will be imposed, following an expiry review of the original duty order, the European Commission said in a Sept. 15 implementing regulation. The European Steel Association requested the review in May 2020, representing more than 25% of the total EU production of the subject merchandise. The dumping order specifically covers “flat-rolled products of stainless steel, not further worked than cold-rolled (cold-reduced).”
The European Commission in two Sept. 16 notices announced the impending expiration of antidumping duty measures on certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel from China and on certain concrete reinforcement bars and rods from Belarus, unless a review of the duties is initiated. European Union manufacturers can submit a written request for a review up to three months before the measures' June 10, 2022, expiration date for the China AD duties and June 18, 2022, expiration date for the Belarus AD duties.
The European Commission extended the antidumping duty order on imports of certain aluminum foil and foil in rolls originating from China to cover imports from Thailand, in two Sept. 15 implementing regulations, intending to address circumvention of the AD duties. The decision to extend the antidumping duties was made following an investigation into a spike in aluminum foil imports to the European Union from Thailand. Chinese companies evaded the up-to-35% antidumping duty by first shipping the goods to Thailand then sending them to the EU, the commission said in a press release.
The European Commission allowed Hubei Fomdas Foods Co. to receive the individual antidumping rate given to Toyoshima Share Yidu Foods Co. after the commission found that Hubei properly changed its name from Toyoshima. Per an implementing regulation, the EC said that Hubei properly registered its name change and the change did not result in any new relationship with other companies not investigated by the commission. Hubei is subject to the antidumping duty order on certain prepared or preserved citrus fruits (namely mandarins) from China.