Australia probes galvanized steel imports from China

Australian authorities have initiated an anti-circumvention inquiry to determine whether zinc-coated (galvanized) steel imports from China had been modified to avoid the payment of anti-dumping duties.

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This follows an application lodged by BlueScope Steel, a manufacturer of galvanized steel in Australia, according to a statement from the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission on Monday June 1.

The product in question was described as “alloyed galvanized steel”.

The inquiry will examine whether any exporters of galvanized steel from China had engaged in circumvention activity involving a slight modification of products shipped to Australia. The commission had also launched a similar inquiry into the alleged circumvention of products exported from South Korea and Taiwan a month earlier.

The applicant claimed that Chinese exporters were slightly modifying these goods by adding minute amounts of alloys (such as ferro-boron) in order to avoid existing anti-dumping measures, the commission said.

The commission will examine products shipped from China during the period from July 1, 2011 to March 31, 2015 to determine whether circumvention had occurred.

Australia began imposing anti-dumping measures, in the form of a dumping duty notice and a countervailing duty notice, on non-alloyed galvanized steel imported from China, South Korea and Taiwan on August 5, 2013.

The inquiry will lead to the placement of a statement of essential facts on public record by September 21 or a later date allowed by the parliamentary secretary of the ministry of industry and science.

Interested parties will be invited to make submissions to the commission in response to the statement within 20 days of it being placed on public record.

A recommendation to the parliamentary secretary will then be made in a report by November 3 or a later date determined by the parliamentary secretary, the commission said.