Brussels, 16 August 2023 – On 14 August, the Commission initiated two anti-circumvention investigations regarding possible circumvention via Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam of the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures imposed in 2021 and 2022 against imports of stainless steel cold rolled flat products from Indonesia. EUROFER welcomes the openings and the immediate registration of the imports from those countries towards a possible retroactive application of the existing duties.

“Since the imposition of both anti-subsidy and anti-dumping measures, the direct imports of Indonesian stainless steel cold rolled flat products (SSCR) virtually disappeared”, said Axel Eggert, Director General of the European Steel Association (EUROFER). “However, the unfair practices and in particular the massive support granted to local producers by the Indonesian and Chinese governments through raw material manipulation and financing under the Belt and Road initiative are now exported from Indonesia to third countries as stainless slabs or stainless hot rolled coils that are then re-exported as finished stainless steel, including SSCR, into the EU27 market”.

A massive amount of EU imports of SSCR from the targeted third countries are in fact indirect imports from Indonesia, with Indonesian slabs or hot rolled coils undergoing only limited processing before being re-exported to the Union. These flows of indirect imports constitute a significant share of the exports of SSCR from these countries to the EU, starting to pick up over the course of the investigations in 2021 and skyrocketing after the imposition of the measures in 2022.

“Those indirect imports show clear evidence of circumvention, similar to the practices already recognised and addressed by the Commission in the previous circumvention investigation on imports of stainless hot rolled sheets and coils from Turkey. The immediate registration of the imports from Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam is therefore crucial to ensure the effectiveness of the existing measures”, concluded Mr. Eggert.

Notes for editors

Contact
Lucia Sali, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, +32 2 738 79 35, (l.sali@eurofer.eu)

About the European Steel Association (EUROFER)
EUROFER AISBL is located in Brussels and was founded in 1976. It represents the entirety of steel production in the European Union. EUROFER members are steel companies and national steel federations throughout the EU. The major steel companies and national steel federation of Turkey and the United Kingdom are associate members.

The European Steel Association is recorded in the EU transparency register: 93038071152-83.

About the European steel industry
The European steel industry is a world leader in innovation and environmental sustainability. It has a turnover of around €130 billion and directly employs around 306,000 highly-skilled people, producing on average 152 million tonnes of steel per year. More than 500 steel production sites across 22 EU Member States provide direct and indirect employment to millions more European citizens. Closely integrated with Europe’s manufacturing and construction industries, steel is the backbone for development, growth and employment in Europe.

Steel is the most versatile industrial material in the world. The thousands of different grades and types of steel developed by the industry make the modern world possible. Steel is 100% recyclable and therefore is a fundamental part of the circular economy. As a basic engineering material, steel is also an essential factor in the development and deployment of innovative, CO2-mitigating technologies, improving resource efficiency and fostering sustainable development in Europe.