Notice clarifying the notices of initiation of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy proceedings concerning imports of certain woven and/or stitched glass fibre fabrics originating in the People’s Republic of China and Egypt

(2019/C 314/06)

On 21 February 2019, the Commission published a notice initiating an anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of certain woven and/or stitched glass fibre fabrics originating in the People’s Republic of China and Egypt (1) (the ‘Notice of 21 February 2019’).

On 16 May 2019, the Commission published a notice initiating an anti-subsidy investigation concerning imports of certain woven and/or stitched glass fibre fabrics originating in the People’s Republic of China and Egypt (2) (the ‘Notice of 16 May 2019’).

In those notices, the product under investigation is described as follows:

‘The product subject to this investigation is fabrics of woven, and/or stitched continuous filament glass fibre rovings or yarns, excluding products which are impregnated or pre-impregnated (pre-preg), and excluding open mesh fabrics with cells with a size of more than 1,8 mm in both length and width and weighing more than 35 g/m2 (“the product under investigation”).’

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.

For this reason, the Commission has decided to clarify the Notice of 21 February 2019 and the Notice of 16 May 2019 to reflect to all interested parties the actual scope of the current investigation and to give the economic operators concerned who might have not made themselves known because they believe they were not concerned by this proceeding (most notably users and unrelated importers) an opportunity to provide questionnaire replies on the basis of the clarified definition of the product under investigation and a complete Product Control Number (‘PCN’) table thereof.

Further information will also be included in a note to the file for inspection by interested parties.

1. Clarification concerning the product under investigation

In Section 2 of the Notice of 21 February 2019 and the Notice of 16 May 2019, the product under investigation is described as follows:

‘The product subject to this investigation is fabrics of woven, and/or stitched continuous filament glass fibre rovings or yarns, excluding products which are impregnated or pre-impregnated (pre-preg), and excluding open mesh fabrics with cells with a size of more than 1,8 mm in both length and width and weighing more than 35 g/m2 (“the product under investigation”).’

As explained above, the investigations have brought to the Commission’s attention that some economic operators may have misinterpreted the above description and may have decided not to come forward on the basis of an incorrect understanding of the definition of the product under investigation.

For this reason, the Commission finds it appropriate to clarify that the product subject to this investigation is fabrics of woven, and/or stitched continuous filament glass fibre rovings and/or yarns with or without other elements, excluding products which are impregnated or pre-impregnated (pre-preg), and excluding open mesh fabrics with cells with a size of more than 1,8 mm in both length and width and weighing more than 35 g/m2 (‘the product under investigation’).

More detailed TARIC codes covering the product under investigation are provided below for information.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission observes that this clarification has no material impact on the Commission’s analysis of the allegations of dumping/subsidisation and injury which fully covers the scope of the investigation. That is because the information from interested parties as to dumping/subsidisation and injury was collected at the level of the much more detailed PCN making up the product under investigation.

To ensure clarity, the Commission publishes herewith the PCN table that accompanied the questionnaire forms submitted to the Union industry and exporting producers.

Field Description Field format Values Explanation Sales format N 1: Roll Use the number corresponding to the form in which the product was sold. In case of kits, sets or bundles, since several different fabrics are sold together, the remaining PCN characteristics should not be provided and thus the PCN should consist of a single digit. 2: Cut to shape 3: Sold in bundle or set of different fabrics Form of fabric XX WR: for Woven roving and/or zero-twisted yarn Use the two letters corresponding to the product form. Please use TY only for fabrics that do not contain roving or zero-twisted yarn NU: for Non-crimp (stitched) roving and/or zero-twisted yarn fabrics — uniaxial and unidirectional (3) NM: for Non-crimp (stitched) roving and/or zero-twisted yarn fabrics — multiaxial CG: Roving and/or zero-twisted yarn glass fibre complexes — 100 % glass fibre (4) CM: for roving and/or zero-twisted yarn fabrics glass fibre complexes — mixed fibre (5) Type of glass XX EG: for E or ECR Glass (low boron content) Use the two letters corresponding to the type of glass used HG: for High Modulus Glass Area weight – weight, in grams per square metre (g/m2) including any mat, veil etc. N 1: for Below 300 g/m2 Use the number corresponding to the range where the area weight of the product fits. 2: for 301 to 600 g/m2 3: for 601 to 800 g/m2 4: for 801 to 1 200 g/m2 5: for 1 201 to 1 500 g/m2 6: for 1 501 to 1 800 g/m2 7: for 1 801 to 2 400 g/m2 8: for Above 2 400 g/m2 Density of rovings/yarns (tex) X Z: for below 300 tex Use the letter corresponding to the density of the roving of the product. Please report the density (tex) of the roving/yarn accounting for the largest portion (by weight) in the fabric. If two rovings or yarns with different densities (tex) account for the same weight in the final product, report the roving/yarn with the larger density (tex) only. A: for 300 tex B: for 600 tex C: for 900 tex D: for 1 100 tex E: for 1 200 tex F: for 2 300 tex G: for 2 400 tex H: for 3 600 tex I: for 4 800 tex J: for Other, like CSM (chopped strand mats), assembled roving/yarns, …

2. TARIC codes

In order to avoid further misunderstandings, the Commission also clarifies the TARIC codes provided for information only in the first paragraph of Section 3 of the Notice of 21 February 2019 as well as in the first paragraph of Section 3 of the Notice of 16 May 2019.

The complete set of codes covering the product under investigation are: CN codes ex 7019 39 00, ex 7019 40 00, ex 7019 59 00 and ex 7019 90 00 (TARIC codes 7019390080, 7019400080, 7019590080 and 7019900080).

As before, the CN and TARIC codes are given for information purposes only.

3. Procedure

Interested parties who believe that they are affected by this clarification, or who might not have made themselves known because they believed they were not concerned by this proceeding, are requested to contact the Commission within 7 days of this Notice in order to make themselves known and, if they wish, to request a questionnaire.

They may do so through one of the following email addresses:

TRADE-AD653-GFF-DUMPING-CHINA@ec.europa.eu

TRADE-AD653-GFF-DUMPING-EGYPT@ec.europa.eu or

TRADE-AD653-GFF-INJURY@ec.europa.eu

TRADE-AS656-GFF-SUBSIDY@ec.europa.eu or

TRADE-AS656-GFF-INJURY@ec.europa.eu

Any comments and submissions received in response to this Notice as well as any further information in this regard will be included in a note to the file for inspection by interested parties.

(1) OJ C 68, 21.2.2019, p. 29.

(2) OJ C 167, 16.5.2019, p. 13.

(3) Unidirectional means at least 90 % in one direction

(4) Excluding the stitching yarns, which may also be polyester or other fibre.

(5) Such as a polyester core or veil. Stitching yarns of polyester or other fibre will not make the complex a mixed fibre complex for the purpose of this classification.