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.

China's General Administration of Customs implemented temporary antidumping duty measures on imported polyphenylene ethers from the U.S., in a Sept. 6 announcement, according to an unofficial translation. Starting on Sept. 7, polyethers in primary forms and "'poly-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzene Ether (including chemically modified or physically modified)' product number should be filled in 39072090.10, and 'other polyether in primary form” product number should be filled in 39072090.90,'" the notice said.

The European Commission terminated a review of an extension on antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of biodiesel consigned from Canada, it announced in a Sept. 3 implementing regulation. Verbio Diesel Canada Corp. on July 2 asked to withdraw its own request for review. Verbio will no longer register its imports and imports of its subject products will be assessed the country-wide antidumping duty rate for all-other companies, retroactive from the date of initiation of the review investigation, the EC said.

The European Commission in a Sept. 3 notice announced the impending expiration of antidumping duty measures on tungsten carbide, fused tungsten carbide and tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder from China, 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 duty's June 3, 2022, expiration date.

Brazil recently announced antidumping duty decisions on certain products from mainland China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported Sept. 2. Brazil ended without judgment its AD duty investigation of certain hosiery and socks from Hong Kong and mainland China, saying the “merit analysis was impaired due to a lack of accuracy and inadequacy in the information provided by the domestic industry.” Brazil also determined that certain pot rests, cup holders, trays and cutting boards fall within the scope of its AD duty on certain Chinese ceramic tableware, except for certain cutlery utensils. The country also renewed for five years an AD duty on certain mainland Chinese polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film (see 2108020010), and further amended that order by revising the AD measure from, in U.S. currency, 65 cents per kilogram to $654.95 per tonne.

The European Commission reimposed an antidumping duty on threaded, molded pipe fittings, malleable and spheroidal graphite cast iron from China manufactured by Jinan Meide Castings Co., Ltd., in a Sept. 2 regulation, according to an unofficial translation. The duty was imposed following a decision from the General Court of the European Union.

The European Commission imposed a definitive antidumping duty on imports of certain pre- and post-stressing wires and wire strands of non-alloy steel (PSC wires and strands) from China following an expiry review, the commission said in a Sept. 2 regulation. The imports will be assessed a 46.2% duty, excluding those from Kiswire Qingdao, which has a zero percent margin, and from Ossen Innovation Materials Co. Joint Stock Co. and Ossen Jiujiang Steel Wire Cable Co., which both have a 31.1% rate. The European Stress Information Service, representing more than a quarter of the EU domestic industry of PSC, requested the review as the duties were set to expire. Specifically, the duties cover “not plated or not coated wire of non-alloy steel, wire of non-alloy steel plated or coated with zinc and stranded wire of non-alloy steel whether or not plated or coated with not more than 18 wires, containing by weight 0,6 % or more of carbon, with a maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeding 3 mm.”

The European Union's use of trade defense measures in 2020, including antidumping and countervailing duties, succeeded despite COVID-19-related challenges, the European Commission said in a post highlighting its actions against unfair trade practices of the past year. The EU noted its temporary changes to regular practices, such as on-site verification visits. The commission also released statistics regarding its trade remedies. In all, the EU had 150 trade defense measures at the end of 2020, 10 more than in 2019, that included 128 antidumping measures, 19 antisubsidy duties and three safeguard measures. Ninety-nine of the 150 were imposed on China, nine on Russia, seven on India and six on the U.S. The commission also highlighted its new countervailing duties on cross-border financial support given by China to Chinese-owned companies making glass fiber fabrics and continuous filament glass fiber made in Egypt for export to the EU.