Notice amending the notice of initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding concerning imports of aluminium flat-rolled products originating in the People’s Republic of China

(2021/C 36/10)

On 14 August 2020, the Commission published a notice initiating an anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of aluminium flat-rolled products originating in the People’s Republic of China (1) (the ‘Notice of 14 August 2020’). Subsequently interested parties brought to the Commission’s attention that a certain product category which is to be classified under CN codes 7606 11 10 and 7606 12 20 was never meant to be covered by the product definition.

Also, in order to avoid confusion, the definition of the products, for use as body panels in the automotive industry, to be excluded had to be clarified.

As a consequence, the Commission is hereby amending the Notice of 14 August 2020 to reflect the actual scope of the current investigation. Further information can be found in a note to the file for inspection by interested parties.

1. Product under investigation

The definition of the product under investigation in Section 2 of the Notice of 14 August 2020 that stated:

‘The product subject to this investigation is aluminium products, flat rolled, whether or not alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat rolled,

— in coils or in coiled strips, in cut-to-length sheets, or in the form of circles; of a thickness of 0,2 mm or more but not more than 6 mm;

— in plates, of a thickness of more than 6 mm;

— in coils or in coiled strips, of a thickness of not less than 0,03 mm but less than 0,2 mm;

(‘the product under investigation’).

The following products are excluded:

— Aluminium beverage can body stock, end stock and tab stock, currently falling under CN codes 7606 12 11 and 7606 12 19.

— Aluminium products, flat rolled, alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat rolled, of a thickness of not less than 0,2 mm and not more than 6 mm, for use as body panels in the automotive industry, currently falling under CN codes ex 7606 12 92, ex 7606 12 93, ex 7606 12 99, ex 7606 92 00.

— Aluminium products, flat rolled, alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat rolled, of a thickness of not less than 0,8 mm, for use in the manufacture of aircraft parts, currently falling under CN codes ex 7606 12 92, ex 7606 12 93, ex 7606 12 99, ex 7606 92 00.’

The investigations have brought to the Commission’s attention that some economic operators may have misinterpreted the wording of the description of the product subject to investigation.

reads as follows:

‘The product subject to this investigation is aluminium products, flat rolled, whether or not alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat rolled, not backed, without internal layers of other material,

— in coils or in coiled strips, in cut-to-length sheets, or in the form of circles; of a thickness of 0,2 mm or more but not more than 6 mm;

— in plates, of a thickness of more than 6 mm;

— in coils or in coiled strips, of a thickness of not less than 0,03 mm but less than 0,2 mm;

(‘the product under investigation’).

The following products are excluded:

— Aluminium beverage can body stock, end stock and tab stock.

— Aluminium products, flat rolled, alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat rolled, of a thickness of not less than 0,2 mm and not more than 6 mm, for use as body panels in the car industry.

— Aluminium products, flat rolled, alloyed, whether or not further worked than flat rolled, of a thickness of not less than 0,8 mm, for use in the manufacture of aircraft parts.’

2. Clarification concerning CN codes

The reference to CN and TARIC codes, provided for information only in the first paragraph of Section 3 of the Notice of 14 August 2020 that stated:

‘The product allegedly being dumped is the product under investigation, originating in the People’s Republic of China (“the PRC” or “the country concerned”) currently classified under CN codes 7606 11 10, 7606 11 91, 7606 11 93, 7606 11 99, 7606 12 20, ex 7606 12 92 (TARIC code 7606129295), ex 7606 12 93 (TARIC code 7606129386), ex 7606 12 99 (TARIC codes 7606129925 and 7606129986), 7606 91 00, ex 7606 92 00 (TARIC code 7606920086) and ex 7607 11 90 (TARIC codes 7607119044, 7607119048, 7607119051, 7607119053, 7607119060, 7607119071, 7607119073, 7607119075, 7607119077, 7607119091, 7607119093). The CN and TARIC codes are given for information only.’

reads as follows:

‘The product allegedly being dumped is the product under investigation, originating in the People’s Republic of China (“the PRC” or “the country concerned”) currently classified under CN codes ex 7606 11 10 (TARIC codes 7606111025, 7606111086), ex 7606 11 91 (TARIC codes 7606119125, 7606119186), ex 7606 11 93 (TARIC codes 7606119325, 7606119386), ex 7606 11 99 (TARIC codes 7606119925, 7606119986), ex 7606 12 20 (TARIC codes 7606122025, 7606122086), ex 7606 12 92 (TARIC codes 7606129225, 7606129295), ex 7606 12 93 (TARIC code 7606129386), ex 7606 12 99 (TARIC codes 7606129925 and 7606129986), ex 7606 91 00 (TARIC codes 7606910025, 7606910086), ex 7606 92 00 (TARIC codes 7606920025, 7606920086), ex 7607 11 90 (TARIC codes 7607119044, 7607119048, 7607119051, 7607119053, 7607119065, 7607119071, 7607119073, 7607119075, 7607119077, 7607119091, 7607119093) and ex 7607 19 90 (TARIC codes 7607199075, 7607199086). The CN and TARIC codes are given for information only.’

(1) OJ C 268, 14.8.2020, p. 5.