Russian Steelmakers Seek 22.5 Percent Duty on Chinese Imports

15/08/2011 12:00 - 368 Views

Russia’s largest steelmakers asked the government to impose a 22.5 percent duty on cold-rolled polymer-coated steel from China as an anti-dumping measure.

China exported 216,451 metric tons to Russia in the first half of the year, 10 times more than in the same period of 2009, according to Russian Steel, a lobby representing the country’s eight largest steelmakers including OAO Severstal and OAO Novolipetsk Steel. The Chinese product was sold 11 percent more cheaply than the local going rate, the lobby said in an e-mailed statement that cited data from the Russian Federal Customs Service.

Russia began an anti-dumping probe in February after complaints from steelmakers about Chinese imports of cold-rolled steel with polymer coating. The lobby has asked the government to impose duties on the imports immediately rather than wait for the inquiry to finish, according to the statement.

“We aren’t commenting on this question until the end of the probe,” Aliona Shipilina, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said by phone.

Aug 11, 2011 10:08 PM GMT+0700
By Yuliya Fedorinova
Source: Bloomberg.com