L 177/86
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
12.7.2023
(148) Union consumption developed as follows:
Table 2
Union consumption (tonnes)
Total Union consumption Index (2019 = 100)
2019
2020
2021
Investigation period
[70 000-75 000]
[42 000-46 000]
[44 000-48 000]
[47 000-51 000]
100
60
63
68
Source: Complaint, questionnaire reply complainant, cooperating exporting producers and Eurostat.
(149) Union consumption decreased by 32 % during the period considered.
After an initial large drop of 40 % in 2020, consumption increased again somewhat in the following years.
The drop in 2020 coincided with the year when the Union was hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic and can largely be attributed to the associated ‘lockdowns’ when the factories of both the steel bulb flats producers and users were temporarily closed down.
In addition, as explained in recital 29, steel bulb flats are primarily used in the shipbuilding industry.
In the Union, most of the product concerned is used in the production of cruise ships and other luxury vessels, as well as military vessels.
One of the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic was a slowdown in the orders for and production of luxury vessels, which had a strong impact on the production of steel bulb flats.
Although consumption has increased since 2020, it is still far from the pre-pandemic level.
4.3.
Imports from the countries concerned
4.3.1.
Cumulative assessment of the effects of imports from the countries concerned
(150) The Commission examined whether imports of steel bulb flats originating in the countries concerned should be assessed cumulatively, in accordance with Article 3(4) of the basic Regulation.
(151) The margin of dumping established in relation to the imports from China and Türkiye was above the de minimis threshold laid down in Article 9(3) of the basic Regulation.
The volume of imports from each of the countries concerned was not negligible within the meaning of Article 5(7) of the basic Regulation.
Market shares in the investigation period were [4,0-6,0] % and [53,0-58,0] % respectively.
(152) The conditions of competition between the dumped imports from China and Türkiye and the like product were similar.
More specifically, the imported products competed with each other and with the steel bulb flats produced in the Union because they have to comply with the same technical standards and have to be certified by the same institutions before they qualify for their intended end-use.
Steel bulb flats from all sources are sold through the same sales channels and to similar categories of customers.
Shipbuilders use the same steel bulb flats for the same purpose and differentiate only on the technical aspects of the product (e.g. width, length, steel grade etcetera), not the origins of the product.
(153) Therefore, all the criteria set out in Article 3(4) of the basic Regulation were met and imports from China and Türkiye were examined cumulatively for the purposes of the injury determination.