Commercial Information Circular

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

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

22 November 2021

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 796/2021

European Union (EU)* : Initiation of an anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of certain graphite electrode systems originating in the Mainland of China

The European Commission (the Commission) published a notice 2021/C 466/06 on 18 November 2021 announcing the initiation of an anti-subsidy proceeding concerning imports of certain graphite electrode systems originating in the Mainland of China on the basis of a complaint lodged on 4 October 2021 by Graphite Cova GmbH, Showa Denko Carbon Holding GmbH and Tokai ErftCarbon GmbH. The notice is available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:JOC_2021_466_R_0006&from=EN. Salient points of the notice are set out below.

2.The product under investigation is graphite electrodes of a kind used for electric furnaces, with an apparent density of 1.5 g/cm3 or more and an electrical resistance of 7.0 μ.Ω.m or less, whether or not equipped with nipples. All interested parties wishing to submit information on the product scope must do so within 10 days from 18 November 2021.

3.The Commission may limit the exporting producers to be investigated by selecting a sample. To enable the Commission to decide whether sampling is necessary, and if so, to select a sample, all exporting producers in the Mainland of China, or representatives acting on their behalf, are requested to provide the Commission with information on their company(ies) within 7 days from 18 November 2021. The information must be provided via TRON.tdi at: https://tron.trade.ec.europa.eu/tron/tdi/form/AS685_SAMPLING_FORM_FOR_EXPORTING_PRODUCER. All exporting producers selected to be in the sample will have to submit a completed questionnaire within 30 days from the date of notification of their inclusion in the sample, unless otherwise specified. Non-sampled cooperating exporting producers may request the Commission to establish their individual amount of countervailable subsidisation. Exporting producers wishing to claim an individual amount of countervailable subsidisation must fill in the questionnaire and return it duly completed by the same deadline.

4.All interesting parties wishing to comment on the complaint or aspects regarding the initiation of the investigation must do so within 37 days from 18 November 2021. Any request for a hearing with regard to the initiation of the investigation must be submitted within 15 days from 18 November 2021.

5.The investigation will be concluded within 12 months and in any event no later than 13 months from 18 November 2021. Provisional measures may be imposed no later than 9 months from the same date.

6.For traders involved in the exports of the subject product from the Guangdong Province, please contact GONG Zhihong, Director of Trade Remedy and Industry Injury Investigation Division under the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, at 86 20 3881 6201. The Division is responsible for, among others, guiding and coordinating enterprises in Guangdong Province in responding to anti-dumping investigations against products from the province.

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

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Tracy MAK)
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.