The Mexican government announced that it accepted the request of the Mexican steel company DeAcero to investigate an antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) on the import of coiled steel nails for guns imported from China.
"The request of the interested party is accepted and the beginning of the antidumping investigation on imports of nails for guns, originating in China is declared," the Ministry of Economy published in the official gazette of the Mexican government.
DeAcero controls 50 percent of the production of the investigated product. In addition, it has the support of four other producers that together account for 90 percent of the national production of coiled steel nails for guns. They are Aceros y Laminados Leal (Aceros Leal), Clavos Nacionales México, Grupo Acerero Reyes, (Magnacero) and Sujetadores de Acero (Suasa).
The clove under investigation is imported into Mexico under tariff code 7317.00.99 of the General Import and Export Tax Law (TIGIE) and under Rule Eight, through tariff fraction 9802.00.01 of the TIGIE. Definitive and temporary imports will be investigated.
The government warned that this product already has a temporary tariff of 35 percent for countries with which Mexico does not have a free trade agreement. The tariff has been levied since last April and will be in effect until the same month in 2026.
The Ministry of Economy set the investigation period from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 and the damage analysis period from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2024.
According to the Ministry of Economy, “DeAcero stated that imports of gun nails from China were made under conditions of price discrimination, which generated a significant increase (in imports) with a dominant presence in the Mexican market.”
Total sales of gun nails from the national production branch decreased 54.0 percent and imports from China increased 74.5 percent.
Imports are made through 62 distributors in Mexico, including: Industrias Adir, Johnson Controls ASC Systems, Seguetas Lenmex, Triplay and Ferretería La Casa del Mueblero, Truper, Urrea Professional Tools, and Valmont Monterrey.
The Chinese exporters are 19 companies, including: An Hui Kun Sen Imp. & Exp., Changzhou Kya Fasteners, Guangdong Meite Mechanical, Hebei Cangzhou New Century Foreign Trade and Linyi Flyingarrow Imp. & Exp.