The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced it’s opening an anti-dumping probe into hot-rolled steel heavy plate and high-strength low-alloy steel heavy plate exports from Chinese Taipei, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, and Turkey.
Ontario-based Algoma Steel lauded the investigation after having filed a complaint about the heavy plate material being sold at unfair prices in Canada. The review also drew applause from SSAB Central and Janco Steel.
The countries involved in Wednesday’s release have sold sizeable amounts of heavy plate in Canada at below market pricing. Algoma filed a complaint last month, claiming that the illegal dumping was injurious to Canadian producers and their employees.
The petitioner also contends the Canadian industry has witnessed rising volumes of dumped imports, leading to market share loss, sales declines, softening prices, loss of capacity utilization, harm to investments, and financial impact.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) will begin an initial review to establish if the imports harm Canadian producers, then release results by July 24. The CBSA will concurrently determine whether or not imports are being sold at unfair prices in Canada and provide its initial decision on Aug 25. Duties may be imposed retroactively to May 27, 2020.
If the CBSA issues a final determination, and the CITT observes that imports harmed domestic producers, antidumping duties will be imposed in December for an initial five year period.
Michael McQuade, Algoma Steel’s chief executive officer, said that when exporters dump steel into the country, the company will react accordingly.
Algoma, an integrated steel producer of hot and cold rolled steel products, including sheet and plate, has an output capacity of about 2.8mn mt per annum.