European Union — Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Cold-Rolled Flat Steel Products from Russia

 

Short title:	EU — Cold-Rolled Steel (Russia)
Complainant:	Russian Federation
Respondent:	European Union
Third Parties (original proceedings):	China; India; Japan; Korea, Republic of; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Ukraine; United States
Agreements cited: (as cited in request for consultations)	Art. VI, VI:2  GATT 1994 Art. 1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 5.2, 5.3, 5.8, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5.1, 6.8, 6.9, 6.13, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10.6, 12.2, 12.2.1, 12.2.2, 18.1, Annex II  Anti-dumping
Agreements cited: (as cited in panel request)	Art. 1, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.3  Anti-dumping Art. 2.4  Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) Art. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 5.2, 5.3, 5.8, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5.1, 6.8, 6.9, 6.13, 9.2, 9.3, 10.6, 12.2, 12.2.1, 12.2.2, 18.1, Annex II  Anti-dumping Art. VI, VI:2  GATT 1994
Consultations requested:	27 January 2017
Panel requested:	13 March 2019
Panel established:	26 April 2019
Panel composed:	16 March 2020

 

Summary of the dispute to date

 

The summary below was up-to-date at 9 May 2022 

 

Consultations

 

Complaint by the Russian Federation

 

On 27 January 2017, the Russian Federation requested consultations with the European Union concerning anti-dumping measures imposed by the European Union on imports of certain cold-rolled flat steel products from the Russian Federation.

 

The Russian Federation claimed that the measures appear to be inconsistent with:

 

- Articles 1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 5.2, 5.3, 5.8, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, 6.8, 6.9, 6.13, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 10.6, 12.2, 18.1 and paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of Annex II of the Anti-Dumping Agreement; and

 

- Article VI of the GATT 1994.

 

Panel and Appellate Body proceedings

 

On 13 March 2019, the Russian Federation requested the establishment of a panel. At its meeting on 11 April 2019, the DSB deferred the establishment of a panel.

 

At its meeting on 26 April 2019, the DSB established a panel. China, India, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the United States reserved their third-party rights.

 

On 6 March 2020, the Russian Federation requested the Director-General to compose the panel. On 16 March 2020, the Director-General composed the panel.

 

On 22 October 2020, the Chair of the panel informed the DSB that in the light the panel's decision, after consultation with the parties, to postpone the first substantive meeting with the parties and the third parties due to the ongoing travel restrictions resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and considering the complexity of this dispute, the panel did not expect to issue its final report before the second half of 2021. The Chair apprised the DSB that the report would be available to the public once it was circulated to the Members in all three official languages, and that the date of circulation depended on completion of translation. On 21 December 2021, the Chair of the panel informed the DSB that in light of the ongoing travel restrictions resulting from the global COVID 19 pandemic, and the parties' agreement to hold substantive meetings with the panel in person at the WTO, the panel had decided, after consulting the parties, to further postpone the first substantive meeting with the parties and the third parties. The Chair further indicated that consequently, and considering the complexity of this dispute, the panel expected to issue its final report no earlier than the second half of 2022.

 

On 28 March 2022, the Chair of the panel informed the DSB that it had granted the Russian Federation's request of 18 March 2022, on which the European Union had no comment, that the panel suspend its work pursuant to Article 12.12 of the DSU for an indeterminate period of time. The Chair indicated that the suspension of the proceedings was effective from 28 March 2022. The Chair noted that pursuant to Article 12.12 if the work of the panel had been suspended for more than 12 months, the authority for establishment of the panel shall lapse.