Scrutiny over Chinese steel imports has increased this week, as Mexico’s economy secretariat, SE, has started an anti-circumvention probe into imports of CRC from the Asian country, at the same time it applied provisional AD duties on purchases of Chinese wire rod.
Under the request of local producers ArcelorMittal, Deacero and Ternium Mexico, SE announced this week it applied a provisional countervailing duty of $0.49/kg ($490/mt) into the imports of Chinese wire rod. The levy applies to both existing provisional and definite duties for the purchases of the product coming China, it said, adding it will continue investigating dumping practices by China while exporting the product to Mexico.
Meanwhile, it also initiated an anti-circumvention probe into the imports of CRC from the Asian country, following a request of local producers AHMSA and Ternium Mexico.
SE said the period of the probe starts on March 1, 2015 and ends on August 31, 2015.
AHMSA and Ternium Mexico argued that while SE has started an AD probe over the imports of CRC from China, imports of CRC with added boron increased significantly. The companies said the product present minimal differences when compared to CRC imports, which pay countervailing duties. The local producers claim the alternative product circumvented those countervailing duties.
In June this year, SE applied different countervailing duties for Chinese CRC imports. Imports from Baoshan Iron & Steel pay a 65.99 percent tariff. Purchases from Tangshan Iron and Steel Group will pay an 82.08 percent duty, while imports coming through Beijing Shougang Cold Rolling, Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel and all the other producers pay a 103.41 percent tariff.