Overview of EU Trade Remedy Investigations against China in Jan.-Aug., 2012

European Commission has published the statistics of European Union’s trade remedy investigations during January–August, 2012, which in general show an intense as well as relieved situation of EU’s trade remedy investigations against Chinese products in the first eight months of 2012: On the one hand, EU has kept taking China as the main object of investigations. On the other, EU has ended several cases against China. 

Some points are listed as follows: Firstly, the number of new lodged cases remains flat with those in the past years but China is still the object country in EU’s trade remedy investigations. In the first eight months this year, 13 new investigations have been raised in the EU, including 10 anti-dumping cases and 3 anti-subsidy cases. Among the 13 cases, 4 are against Chinese products, accounting for about 1/3 of the total number while 2 out of the 3 anti-subsidy cases are against Chinese products. In 2011 and 2010, the numbers of the newly lodged cases in the EU were 18 and 21 respectively, among which the numbers of the cases against China accounted for 10 and 8 respectively.   

Secondly, the numbers of the cases ended and of the cases which were resulted in measures imposed have increased. EU has terminated 7 initial investigations in the first eight months this year, among which 4 were against Chinese products. In addition, among the expiry review and interim review investigations, EU has cancelled 4 anti-dumping measures against Chinese products and furthermore 2 cases expired automatically owing to the fact that there had been no applications from the European industry.  

Thirdly, all of the anti-circumvention investigations raised were for the anti-dumping measures that have already involved with Chinese products. In the first eight months this year, EU has launched 4 anti-circumvention investigations and also made the positive final determinations on the 2 anti-circumvention investigations. Those 6 cases were all responding cases to the anti-dumping measures previously launched against Chinese products.

Fourthly, steel and steel are the target products. In the first eight months this year, 9 out of the 13 newly lodged cases in the EU have involved with steel and steel products. 3 out of the 4 cases against China have involved with steel and steel products. In addition, the statistics also show that by August 31, there are still 50 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures imposed against Chinese products in the EU. 7 initial investigations and 16 reviews and anti-circumvention cases are under investigation.