European aluminium producers have welcomed a decision by the European Commission to impose provisional anti-dumping duties of up to 48% on aluminium extrusions from China.

The decision follows an investigation launched in February, after a complaint from European Aluminium, which this week applauded the decision as “an important milestone in the fight against China’s unfair trade practices.”

Industry observers say the UK is very likely to mirror the duties – set to range from 30.4% to 48% – with legislation of its own.

European Aluminium director general, Gerd Götz said: “With this proposal, the Commission shows it is walking the talk when it comes to increasing the EU’s trade defence against unfair trade practices. These anti-dumping duties are crucial for the survival of the European aluminium value chain, which is critical to Europe’s transition to a digital and green economy.”

Chinese imports of semi-fabricated aluminium products into the EU have more than doubled in the past five years. European Aluminium says the destructive impact of dumped imports has led to a decrease in production and a loss of market share for European producers across the entire value chain, which forced several companies to restructure or close plants with significant job losses as a result.

The provisional duties on aluminium extrusions are expected to be imposed by 15 October, and will possibly be applied with a retroactive effect to the date of the registration of imports (25 August 2020). The European Commission’s investigation will continue and is expected to be finalised in April 2021. At that point, the duties will likely be confirmed as definitive. If the definitive duties are confirmed, they will normally be in place for five years.

Semi-fabricated aluminium products from China are already subject to anti-dumping duties in other major markets like the US, Canada, India, South Korea, Australia and Vietnam.

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