Commission Regulation (EC) No 469/2005 of 23 March 2005 continuing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating in certain third countries
Date: 2005-03-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: import, import restriction, iron and steel product, market protection, market supervision, originating product, third country

L 78/12

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.3.2005

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 469/2005

of 23 March 2005

continuing prior Community surveillance of imports of certain iron and steel products originating
in certain third countries

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(4)

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3285/94 of 22
December 1994 on common rules for imports and repealing
Regulation (EC) No 518/94 (1) and in particular Article 11
thereof,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 519/94 of 7
March 1994 on common rules for imports from certain third
countries and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 1765/82, (EEC)
No 1766/82 and (EEC) No 3420/83 (2), and in particular Article
9 thereof,

After consultations with the Advisory Committees,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

By Regulation (EC) No 76/2002 (3)
the Commission
introduced prior Community surveillance of imports of
certain iron and steel products originating in third
countries. That Regulation was amended by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1337/2002 (4) so as to extend the
scope of the surveillance, and by Commission Regulation
(EC) 2385/2002 (5).

The Community’s
are not
available within the periods established by Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1917/2000 (6).

statistics

external

trade

Although the situation has changed since the intro-
duction of surveillance in 2002, recent developments in
the world steel market still require a reliable and quick
the
information system on the
Community.

imports of

future

(1) OJ L 349, 31.12.1994, p. 53. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2200/2004 (OJ L 374, 22.12.2004, p. 1).

(2) OJ L 67, 10.3.1994, p. 89. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 427/2003 (OJ L 65, 8.3.2003, p. 1).

(3) OJ L 16, 18.1.2002, p. 3.
(4) OJ L 195, 24.7.2002, p. 25.
(5) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 125.
(6) OJ L 229, 9.9.2000, p. 14. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 179/2005 (OJ L 30, 3.2.2005, p. 6).

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

Since 2003, China’s market has been the key driver of
the very important
increase in the demand for steel
products. However, China has been increasing its
production capacity at a very accelerated pace. China’s
production of crude steel has been increased from 129
million tonnes in 2000 to 270 million tonnes in 2004,
moving from a world share of 15,4 % to 26,2 % over the
same period, and further production capacities are being
added that could bring China’s capacity up to 300
Imports into China totalled
million tonnes in 2005.
about 37 million tonnes
in 2003 and 29 million
tonnes in 2004. For the same years, exports totalled
about 7 million tonnes and 14 million tonnes. Net
imports therefore moved from about 30 million tonnes
in 2003 to 15 million tonnes in 2004, thus 15 million
tonnes more were on offer and had to find another
market. It can be anticipated that this trend of decreasing
imports and increasing exports in China will continue,
thereby releasing into the world market
important
increased quantities of steel products looking for a new
market.

The most recent import statistics available for four major
product-types, namely flat products, long products, tubes
and pipes, and semi-finished products, show an annual
increase between 2002 and 2003 averaging 9 % overall
but reaching 23 % and 43 % respectively for long and
semi-finished products. Similarly, using a 10-month
period running from January to October, the percentage
increase between 2003 and 2004 was found to range
from 3,4 % to 58,5 %, depending on product-type.

Analysis of the first three quarters of 2004 reveals a
further upward trend, occurring within that period, of
between 26,7 % and 52 %, whilst figures for October of
that year point to an acceleration of that trend.

Furthermore, prices in the Community market, which
had been lagging behind the United States of America
market in 2003, have become among the highest in the
world. This is likely to attract still further interest from
third-country exporters.

Moreover, statistics on the employment of EU producers
show a marked decline, falling from 414 500 people in
2000 down to 404 700 in 2001, 390 200 in 2002,
383 800 in 2003 and 375 900 in 2004,
is a
decrease of about 10 % over four years.

that

24.3.2005

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 78/13

(9)

(10)

recent

trends

in imports of

recent developments

steel
On the basis of
products, of
in the Chinese
market, of the accelerated pace of increasing imports,
of the very high prices of the steel products in the EU
job losses over
the already important
market and of
recent
to Community
a
producers for the purposes of Article 11 of Regulation
(EC) No 3285/94 can therefore be deemed to exist.

threat of

injury

years,

the interests of

Thus,
the Community require that
imports of certain steel products should continue to be
to prior Community surveillance in order to
subject
information permitting
provide
trends. Taking into account
rapid analysis of
the expected developments mentioned above, it is appro-
priate
system should continue until 31
that
that
December 2006.

advanced statistical

import

(11)

It is desirable for this Regulation to enter into force on
the day of its publication in order to collect the data as
soon as possible,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 76/2002, as modified by Regulations
1337/2002 and 2385/2002, is amended as follows: In Article
6 replace ‘31 March 2005’ with ‘31 December 2006’.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publi-
cation in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 23 March 2005.

For the Commission

Peter MANDELSON
Member of the Commission