US trade cases concern Turkish steel exporters
The Turkish Steel Exporters' Association (CIB) is concerned the US will prevent further steel imports by way of trade cases in the coming years.
"Employing the trade remedy system in a way to prevent fair competition means undermining WTO rules,” CIB says in a statement sent to Kallanish. “We think this attitude by the US sets a bad example for other countries and jeopardizes global free trade. We have our concerns that such attitude by the US will become harsher in upcoming years.
The US issued 43 decisions to impose anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) between 2013 and 2015. It conducted 21 AD and 20 CVD investigations in the first half of 2016, CIB says, citing data from the WTO. Since 2013 the US has initiated 11 AD and CVD probes against Turkish steel products, the association adds.
"It is totally understandable that the US lodges trade cases to protect its market and industry against dumped and subsidized imports," notes CIB. It reiterates that the Turkish steel industry is composed of private companies that are not subsidized by the government. Claims that Turkey engages in dumped sales, or "... sales at a loss, although it uses imported input in production and exports on low profit margins, are never compatible with the commercial facts."
The US launched last September a trade case against Turkish rebar, following pressure from domestic steelmakers, despite Turkish steel firms being charged a zero dumping margin for the same product in 2013, CIB says. In a 2013 US probe into OCTG from Turkey, meanwhile, the US wrongly claimed that a publicly-held private steel company from Turkey was a public body, CIB adds.
"The US not only imposes duties without a good cause, but also makes amendments in its trade case legislation in favour of domestic producers," CIB continues. US authorities have decided "... on unsatisfactory grounds" that Turkish steel companies failed to cooperate, and have started to “…arbitrarily charge high margins on our companies in the light of 'facts available'.”
The findings of almost all trade cases against Turkey have been taken to US courts on grounds of being unlawful, the association observes.
During administrative reviews of trade cases against Turkish firms the margins charged against Turkish companies are set to zero. This "... is the most express proof that the previously mentioned trade cases are lodged under the political pressure exerted by domestic producers," to provide them with an advantage in import and competition, CIB concludes.
Source : Kallanish.com