13.1.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 12/15
the volumes of imports affected were significant (25).
The Commission also confirmed that TDI measures on steel had a similar effect when imposed by third countries.
In a sample of 26 cases assessed (26), the Commission confirmed that the reduction of imports was on average 73 %, and that the volumes affected were also relevant (27).
Therefore, the imposition of TDI measures by third countries reduced the volume of exports to those countries, which were, at least partially, directed to the Union market.
(20)
Furthermore, another set of data showing the clear connection between the increasing number of trade defence measures in third countries and the increase in imports into the Union market is the opposing trends of exports of the main steel exporting countries to the Union explained in recital (3) (28).
In view of the large amount of trade defence measures imposed by third countries and the effects they have on the volumes of imports into the countries imposing a measure (as detailed in recitals (18) and (19)), this trend confirms that their ability to export to third countries was significantly curtailed.
Therefore, they sought to dispose of these additional volumes (also affected by overcapacity) into the attractive Union market, which as a result experienced a consistent increase in imports over the same period, at a pace substantially higher than the evolution of consumption.
(21)
The graph below (29) illustrates these trends.
(25) Around 15 million tonnes of combined imports affected by these measures, out of which, only slightly more than 2 million tonnes continued entering the market after the measures.
For details, see Note to the File, table 2.
(26) See Note to the File dated 30 November 2022, Table 3.
(27) To impose a TDI measure, the volumes concerned by each investigation need to be above de minimis.
In addition, steel is usually traded in rather large volumes as seen in the examples from EU TDI practice and from the sampled cases of TDI measures in other third countries.
(28) These countries accounted consistently for around 75 % of total imports into the Union in the period of investigation.
(29) Source: For imports into the Union: Eurostat; for TDI measures: WTO, Integrated Trade Intelligence Portal (I-TIP).