BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has ordered that imports of a certain type of steel from China and Russia should be subject to registration, part of its ongoing investigation into alleged dumping of product by the two countries.
It told customs authorities to register imports of cold-rolled flat steel from Dec. 13, meaning duties would apply for incoming product from then if the Commission concludes that it is being sold at unfairly low prices.
The Commission launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports from China and Russia in May following a complaint from European steel association Eurofer.
It could apply provisional measures by Feb. 14, 2016, and make definitive duties, which typically last for five years, by Aug. 13.
The registration order, published in the European Union's official journal, follows a request from Eurofer on Nov. 12.
Eurofer says the average dumping margin - the amount by which the normal market price exceeds the export price - is 28 percent for China and 15-20 percent for Russian producers.
The steel group says the registration procedure is justified because importers are well aware of dumping and that, since the investigation was launched in May, imports have increased.
Imports of Chinese cold-rolled flat steel have risen 33 percent and of Russian product by 45 percent in the period May-September this year, compared with the same period in 2014. Import prices fell by a further 5 percent from both countries, the Commission said.