The European Commission announced on Tuesday that aluminium extrusions imported from the People’s Republic of China will immediately be subject to registration by each of its member nations’ customs authority.
The move is the next step in the European Commission’s response to complaints from the continent’s aluminium sector as expressed by the trade body European Aluminium. The association says imports of aluminium from the Middle Kingdom have worked manifest harm to the sector, with Chinese aluminium exporters capturing a tenth of the continent’s market. Chinese aluminium producers have seen their market share double in just the past five years, the organization notes.
European Aluminium thanked the Commission for taking this next step against Chinese aluminium imports in a related press release.
“With today’s announcement, the European Commission has directed the customs authorities to take the appropriate steps to register imports, so that anti-dumping measures may subsequently (and retroactively) be applied against those imports from the date of registration.”
“We applaud the commission for taking this necessary and bold measure,” commented European Aluminium Director General Gerd Gotz. “We hope the registration measure will very soon be followed by effective anti-dumping measures that can more structurally address these issues.”
Concurrent but separate from the Commission’s investigation into imported aluminium extrusions from China is an investigation into a selection of aluminium flat-rolled products emanating from China, which was launched earlier this month. The continent’s aluminium sector accuses China of dumping such products in the region’s market and harming producers in a similar fashion.