The investigations are being conducted at the request of the European Steel Association (EUROFER).
The products concerned by the possible circumvention is flat-rolled products of stainless steel, not further worked than cold-rolled (cold-reduced) under CN codes 7219 31 00, 7219 32 10, 7219 32 90, 7219 33 10, 7219 33 90, 7219 34 10, 7219 34 90, 7219 35 10, 7219 35 90, 7219 90 20, 7219 90 80, 7220 20 21, 7220 20 29, 7220 20 41, 7220 20 49, 7220 20 81, 7220 20 89, 7220 90 20 and 7220 90 80 and originating in Indonesia.
The EC’s announcement clarified that a change in the pattern of trade involving exports from Indonesia, as well as Taiwan, Türkiye and Vietnam to the European Union has taken place following the imposition of the existing anti-dumping measures.
This change appears to stem from a practice for which there is insufficient due cause or economic justification other than the imposition of the duty, namely the consignment of the product concerned via Taiwan, Türkiye and Vietnam to the European Union after having undergone assembly/completion operations in Taiwan, Türkiye or Vietnam respectively.
The evidence provided by the applicant shows that such assembly/completion operations, starting from stainless steel slabs and/or stainless steel hot-rolled flat products originating in Indonesia, constitute circumvention as the operations started or have substantially increased since the initiation of the original anti-subsidy investigation.
The stainless steel slabs and/or stainless steel hot-rolled flat products originating in Indonesia constitute above 60% of the total value of the parts of the assembled product and the value added during the assembly/completion operations is lower than 25% of the manufacturing cost.
Furthermore, the evidence shows that because of the practices described above, the remedial effects of the existing countervailing measures on the product concerned are being undermined both in terms of quantity and prices. Significant volumes of imports of the product under investigation appear to have entered the EU market. In addition, there is sufficient evidence that imports of the product under investigation are made at injurious prices, it said.
The investigations will be implemented in nine months. Interested parties must make themselves known by contacting the EC within 15 days from the announcement, and can apply to be heard by the commission within the same 37-day time limit.
In order to ensure their legitimate rights, the authority advised relevant businesses and exporters to study the procedures and comply with the time, format and content regulations set forth by the EC, while showing their comprehensive cooperation with the EC during the investigations, and contacting the authority for information and support.
