Brussels, 20/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's 13th annual report on trade defence actions taken by third countries against EU exports was published on Friday 17 June and shows an increase in the number of measures in force against the EU in 2015, with cases becoming increasingly complex. European steel is the sector most affected.
At the end of 2015, there were 151 trade defence measures in force against EU exports in third countries (108 anti-dumping measures, 38 safeguard measures and 5 anti-subsidy measures) - up by 11 measures compared with the end of 2014.
Along with China, India was still the country with the highest number of measures against EU exports, with 19 measures in force (4 safeguard measures and 15 anti-dumping measures for India, and 17 anti-dumping and 2 anti-subsidy measures for China). China and India were followed by the USA (18 measures in force, most of them anti-dumping, including 2 new measures), Brazil (with 16 anti-dumping measures, in other words 7 more measures than at the end of 2014) and Turkey (12 measures).
A total of 37 measures were imposed in 2015 (21 anti-dumping measures, 15 safeguard measures and one anti-subsidy measure), which represents a slight increase compared with 2014 (34 measures). With 8 new anti-dumping measures (all of them anti-dumping), Brazil is the main contributor to this increase in the number of measures in force against the EU in 2015.
In terms of new investigations, 18 safeguard investigations, 18 anti-dumping investigations and one anti-subsidy investigation were opened against EU exports in 2015. This figure is slightly down compared with the end of 2014 (37 compared with 41).
In terms of sectors, steel was the subject of most of the new investigations opened by third countries against EU exports (19 of the 37 new investigations opened in 2015 focused on steel products - more than half the total number of new investigations and more than the 12 new investigations focusing on steel in 2014). The steel sector was followed by the chemicals sector (with 7 new investigations opened in 2015 - down compared with the 11 investigations opened in 2014), and the paper sector, which was particularly targeted in 2015 (5 new investigations) and in which there were 3 new investigations in 2015.
2015 was also marked by increased complexity in the cases, due to factors such as the ongoing debate on global overcapacity in the steel sector and, in some countries, the economic context in which trade defence measures can be used for political reasons and implemented for protectionist purposes.
The report also lists the Commission's main achievements in obtaining the suspension, easing or non-imposition of trade defence measures against EU exports - such as the suspension of Brazil's anti-dumping measures against EU exports of synthetic rubber, the reduction of the dumping margin in US anti-dumping measures against EU exports of uncoated paper, or the closure of Turkey's safeguard investigation on printing and writing paper from the EU without measures being imposed.
The report can be consulted at: http://goo.gl/OhU4xS . (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)