Commercial Information Circular

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref. : EIC 230/2/3/2/13

27 August 2020

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 654/2020

European Union (EU)* : Termination of anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of pins and staples originating in the Mainland of China, and making such imports subject to surveillance

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 932/2019 of 24 December 2019, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted an Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1202 on 17 August 2020 announcing the termination of the anti-dumping proceeding concerning the imports of pins and staples originating in the Mainland of China, and making such imports subject to surveillance. The Implementing Decision is available at:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32020D1202&from=EN.

2.The product concerned is staples, whether or not in strips or in coils, hog rings, whether or not in strips, brad nails in strips, and pins in strips; of steel wire, whether or not coated, of aluminum alloy wire, or of stainless steel wire; designed for joining or holding together materials or objects, currently falling under CN codes ex 7317 00 20, ex 7317 00 60, ex 7317 00 80, ex 7326 20 00, ex 7616 10 00, 8305 20 00 and ex 8308 10 00 (TARIC codes 7317 00 20 40, 7317 00 60 40, 7317 00 80 40, 7326 20 00 40, 7616 10 00 40 and 8308 10 00 40).

3.On 24 June 2020, the six EU producers who lodged the complaint alleging that imports of pins and staples originating in the Mainland of China are being dumped and are thereby causing injury to the EU industry informed the Commission that they withdrew the complaint. Under the EU's basic anti‑dumping Regulation, proceedings may be terminated where the complaint is withdrawn, unless such termination would not be in the EU interest. The investigation had not brought to light any considerations showing that a continuation of the case would be in the EU interest. The Commission therefore concluded that the anti-dumping proceeding should be terminated without the imposition of measures. However, the Commission also took note of a determination of 26 May 2020 by the U.S. Department of Commerce in an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation on imports of certain collated steel staples from the Mainland of China, which are product types of the product concerned. Given the potential risk of future trade diversions, the Commission will consider the statistical trends of imports of the product concerned originating in the Mainland of China for a period of 24 months as from 17 August 2020. This will enable the Commission to assess the potential need to initiate a new investigation in accordance with the requirements of the EU's basic anti‑dumping Regulation.

4.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5684.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Ronnie CHUI)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU comprises of 27 member countries, namely, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The United Kingdom (UK) withdrew from the EU with effect from 31 January 2020, and has entered an implementation period which is due to last until 31 December 2020. During the implementation period, the EU law will continue to apply in the UK generally.