Fight against China’s unfair trade practices, European Commission to impose anti-dumping duties on flat-rolled products; European Aluminium applauds

The European Aluminium Association praises the European Commission for its intention to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on certain flat-rolled products originating in China. The duty rates vary from 19.6 to 47.3% and result from an anti-dumping investigation initiated on the 14^th August’20, following a complaint from European Aluminium. The announcement is a major step forward in the fight against China’s unfair trade practices.

Gerd Götz, Director General at European Aluminium, said: “Dumped imports from China are driving European aluminium producers out of business and discourage them from investing in innovations that can boost decarbonisation and recycling. We are grateful the Commission is taking the necessary steps to protect our industry against unfair competition.”

Flat-rolled aluminium imports from China in the EU included in the investigation’s scope increased from 171 kilotonnes in 2016 to approximately 330 kilotonnes last year. In 2020, the market share of these imports from China reached more than 12% and doubled compared to 5 years ago.

The provisional duties on certain aluminium flat-rolled products are expected to be imposed by the 15^th of April 2021. In the meantime, the European Commission’s investigation will continue and is expected to be finalised in October 2021. At that point, the duties will likely be confirmed as definitive. If the definitive duties are confirmed, they will typically be in place for five years. Last October, the EU already imposed preliminary duties between 21.2% and 32.1% on aluminium extrusions originating in China.

Semi-fabricated aluminium products from China are also subject to anti-dumping duties in other major markets like the US, Canada, India, South Korea, Australia and Vietnam.

“Aluminium extrusions and flat-rolled products are the most important aluminium markets in Europe. The Commission’s decision to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminium extrusions and certain flat-rolled products proves that EU producers have been damaged by China’s unfair trade practices. While anti-dumping duties can provide some relief in the short term, we also need a long-term global solution to address subsidised Chinese overcapacity,” concluded Götz.

The products subject to the provisional duties are aluminium products, flat-rolled, whether or not alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat-rolled, not backed, without internal layers of other material:

• in coils or coiled strips, in cut-to-length sheets, or the form of circles; of a thickness of 0,2 mm or more but not more than 6 mm;
• in plates, of a thickness of more than 6 mm;
• in coils or coiled strips of a thickness of not less than 0.03 mm but less than 0.2 mm.

Excluded are beverage can-stock, body-panels for the car industry and aluminium used in the manufacture of aircraft parts.

The main applications of the products concerned are the building and construction sector, foil sector, technical applications, transport sector and consumer durables.