EU’s proposed suspension of anti-dumping duties keeps the option for unfair and high-carbon Chinese aluminium imports open, says Association

European Aluminium Association, the voice of the European aluminium value chain stood against the 9-month suspension of the anti-dumping duties on Chinese flat rolled products. According to the sector, the suspension of the anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium flat rolled products will create a negative impact on the EU industries beyond aluminium.

According to Gerd Götz, Director General of European Aluminium, “On 30 August, the European Commission released its annual report on EU trade defence activity, in which it writes European companies and their workers can continue to rely on robust trade defence instruments that protect them against unfair trade practices. Only two days later, the Commission announced its intention to suspend the definitive anti-dumping duties on aluminium flat-rolled products from China. This news has sent shock waves through the aluminium industry and other industrial sectors. How can European industries trust in the urgently needed trade enforcement measures when the flood gates for high-carbon, dumped Chinese products stay so willingly open?”

Around ten thousand of EU jobs, along with hundred million of euros in the recycling investment and decarbonisation will get affected. Not only this, with the suspension of the anti-dumping duties, European Aluminium fears to experience less production capacity for a material which is important for European Aluminium’s green transition.

The suspension of the anti-dumping duties will also increase the carbon footprint for the Chinese imports, compromising EU’s climate dream. As of now, the carbon footprint of the European primary aluminium production is the lowest globally (around 7kg of CO2 per kg of aluminium as compared to the Chinese average of 20kgof CO2 per kg of aluminium).  According to the European Aluminium, the suspension may signal that China’s unfair practises are tolerated and can set a wrong example for anti-dumping cases in other sectors as well. It can also risk the transatlantic relations in the join fight for free and fair trade globally.

According to Gerd Götz, “The European aluminium industry is determined to pursue all avenues to challenge the proposed suspension because it’s fundamentally unwarranted and contradictory to the Commission’s trade and climate ambitions. We request the Commission not to suspend the definitive measures due for October 2021 and offer our support for an urgently needed in-depth and balanced investigation.”