Mexico investigates imports of steel coils from Germany, China and France
The government of Mexico initiated the examination of the validity of the final countervailing duties on imports of hot rolled steel coils originating in Germany, China and France.
To do this, the Ministry of Economy set the examination period from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 and the analysis period from October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2020.
On November 11 and 12, 2020, Ternium México and Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA), respectively, expressed their interest in the Ministry of Economy starting the examination of the validity of the definitive countervailing duties imposed on imports of rolled steel rolls. hot sourced from Germany, China and France.
Ternium and AHMSA are companies incorporated under Mexican law. Its main activity consists of the manufacture of the product under examination.
To prove their quality as national producers of hot rolled steel coils, they presented letters from the National Chamber of the Iron and Steel Industry on November 6 and 11, 2020, respectively.
Steel coils
The product under review is flat iron or carbon steel or hot-rolled products, without pickling, plating or coating; of any thickness, and width equal to or greater than 600 mm.
This merchandise includes the hot rolled sheet that has a thickness less than or equal to 4.75 mm and the hot rolled steel plate in roll that has a thickness greater than 4.75 mm. They are known as Hot Rolled Steel Coils, Hot Coils, «Hot Rolled Coils», «Hot Rolled Plate Coil», «Hot Rolled Steel», «Sheet Coil» or «Hot Rolled Band».
The exporting companies involved are: ArcelorMittal, rue André Campra, ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH, ArcelorMittal Flat Carbon Europe, SA, ArcelorMittal International America, LLC, ArcelorMittal Mediterranee, SAS, Duferco, SA, Samsung C and T Corporation, Tangshan Iron and Steel Group, Co. Ltd., and ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG.
Background
On December 22, 2015, the final resolution of the anti-dumping investigation on imports of hot rolled steel rolls, originating from Germany, China and France, respectively, was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) regardless of the country of origin.
Through this Resolution, the Ministry of Economy determined the following definitive countervailing duties:
For imports originating in Germany, US $ 137 («dollars») per metric ton for those from ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH and US $ 166.01 per metric ton for other exporting companies.
For imports from China, $ 335.60 per metric ton for those from Tangshan Iron and Steel Group, Co. Ltd. and $ 354.92 per metric ton for the other exporting companies.
For imports originating in France, of $ 67.54 per metric ton for those from ArcelorMittal Mediterranée, S.A.S. and of 75.59 dollars per metric ton for the other exporting companies.
On August 28, 2019, the Notice on the validity of countervailing duties was published in the DOF.
By this means, the national producers and any person with a legal interest were informed that the definitive countervailing duties imposed on the products listed in said Notice would be eliminated as of the expiration date indicated therein for each one, except that a domestic producer express in writing its interest in having an examination procedure initiated.
The list included hot rolled steel coils originating in Germany, China and France, which were the subject of this review.
