China Imposes Antidumping Step on EU Imports of Fasteners

28/12/2009 12:00 - 519 Views

BEIJING -- China said Wednesday it decided to impose temporary antidumping measures against carbon-steel fastener imports from the European Union, in its latest trade dispute just hours after the EU extended an antidumping duty on China-made leather shoes.

Increasing imports of carbon-steel fasteners from the EU has hurt the local industry, China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

Effective Dec. 28, EU fastener makers need to pay deposits of 16.8%-24.6% for carbon steel fastener exports to China, the statement said.

Imports of EU-made carbon steel fasteners into China more than doubled from 2005 to 2007, far exceeding growth in local consumption, the ministry said in a report.

Earlier this year, the EU imposed antidumping duties of up to 85% on China-made screws. China said the EU violated World Trade Organization rules, and took the case to the WTO.

China is involved in around 103 trade disputes with a combined value of around $12 billion as of Nov. 30, the latest official data showed.

The EU said Tuesday it will extend a 16.5% antidumping duty on China-made leather shoes, which prompted China to quickly express "strong dissatisfaction." Beijing said it will file an appeal under the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement mechanism.

Beijing-based EU officials declined to comment Wednesday, adding that the EU Trade Commission in Brussels usually responds to antidumping issues.

—Juan Chen and Terence Poon
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A3

DECEMBER 24, 2009

Source: online.wsj.com