The European Commission has published its final determination in the antidumping investigation into cold rolled flat steel imports from India, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam, establishing definitive duties ranging from 5.6 percent to 28.0 percent. The Commission simultaneously rejected EUROFER's request for retroactive application of the measures, citing the absence of the necessary legal preconditions. The investigation, which covered imports recorded between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, was initiated on September 18, 2025 following a formal complaint lodged by the European Steel Association EUROFER on behalf of EU cold rolled flat steel producers.
In December 2025, the Commission introduced mandatory import registration as a precautionary measure, preserving the option to collect duties retroactively pending the outcome of the investigation. Under the definitive measures, Indian cold rolled flat steel exports to the EU will face a duty of 9.5 percent, while Japanese imports will be subject to the highest rate of 28.0 percent across all investigated origins. Taiwanese producers China Steel Corporation and Chung Hung Steel Corporation, along with other cooperating exporters, will face a duty of 20.7 percent, while all other Taiwanese companies will be subject to a rate of 27.0 percent.
For Vietnam, POSCO Vietnam and all other cooperating or non-cooperating exporters will be assessed a uniform duty of 16.0 percent. Turkish producers receive differentiated, company-specific rates: Borçelik Çelik Sanayi Ticaret A.Ş. will face a duty of 9.7 percent, while Tatmetal Çelik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. will benefit from the lowest rate in the investigation at 5.6 percent. Other cooperating Turkish producers will be subject to 7.3 percent, with all remaining Turkish exporters facing a rate of 9.7 percent.
The Commission's injury findings reveal a significant deterioration in market conditions for EU producers over the investigation period. The combined volume of imports from the five countries increased by 28 percent relative to 2022, reaching approximately 1.69 million metric tons during the reference period. Their aggregate share of the EU free market climbed from 16 percent to 23 percent, notwithstanding a marginal decline from the 24 percent peak recorded in 2024.
The average price of the investigated imports fell by 34 percent to €695 per metric ton over the same period, with country-specific price reductions ranging from 30 percent to 43 percent. Price undercutting margins were calculated at 11.0 percent for India, 12.6 percent for Japan, 9.2 percent for Taiwan, between 5.1 and 13.4 percent for Turkey, and 10.7 percent for Vietnam. The Commission concluded that this surge in low-priced imports placed substantial downward pressure on EU market prices, impairing the ability of European producers to sustain their pricing levels.
Against a backdrop of a ten percent decline in EU free-market consumption, the EU industry's sales volumes fell by 15 percent and its market share contracted from 70 percent in 2022 to 66 percent during the investigation period. The Commission also identified significant deterioration in profitability, cash flow and return on investment, concluding that the EU cold rolled flat steel sector had suffered material injury directly attributable to the dumped imports. Despite finding material injury, the Commission declined to grant EUROFER's request for retroactive collection of duties on imports registered since December 2025.
The Commission stated that retroactive collection under applicable EU trade defense legislation is intrinsically linked to the prior imposition of provisional measures. Since no provisional duties were applied at any stage of this investigation, the legal threshold for retroactive application had not been met. The products covered by the antidumping measures fall under a range of Customs Tariff Statistics Position Numbers including ex 7209 15 00, 7209 16 90, 7209 17 90, 7209 18 91, ex 7209 18 99, ex 7209 25 00, 7209 26 90, 7209 27 90, 7209 28 90, 7211 23 30, ex 7211 23 80, ex 7211 29 00, 7225 50 80, and 7226 92 00.
Source: SteelOrbis
Source: steelorbis.com