"Warfighting" continues to be a serious situation in China's fastener exports

Abstract: The EU has an appeal period, and the results will not be available until at least six months. In an interview with the author a few days ago, Feng Jinyu, chairman of the Fasteners Branch of the China Machinery General Components Industry Association, reminded us, 'We cannot take it lightly.

Notice on the Role of Industry Websites and the Promotion of Industry Information Work The EU has an appeal period that will take at least half a year to come out. In an interview with the author a few days ago, Feng Jinyu, chairman of the Fasteners Branch of the China Machinery General Components Industry Association, reminded us, 'We cannot take it lightly. '

He pointed out that in early February, the WTO ruled that EU anti-dumping measures against Chinese screws, nuts, bolts and other metal fasteners violated WTO regulations. This ruling was described by many media as China’s first victory in the WTO’s international trade lawsuit against the European Union.

It's still too early to say 'winning'. Du Guosen, secretary-general of the China Machinery General Components Industry Association, also repeatedly stressed. He disclosed to the newspaper that the EU is studying the anti-dumping regulations of China against the anti-dumping arbitration conducted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce against EU fasteners. 'Further lawsuits can't be avoided. The lawsuit hasn't ended yet. It's unclear who wins the finalists. '

So far, the fastener export situation in China is still very serious.

A product caused five cases' China's fastener industry can be described as a disaster. A small product has triggered five cases. 'Du Guosen said. From the EU's anti-dumping investigation on my fasteners, to the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China for anti-dumping arbitration on EU fasteners, China initiated the trial procedure of the WTO dispute resolution expert group, went to the EU to appeal, and then to the EU to initiate an anti-circumvention investigation... Complicated! Du Guosen sighed.

Fasteners commonly known as screw nuts, are mechanical basic parts, in the industry known as 'industrial rice'. China's fastener production is the first in the world, and half of exports have historically been the hardest-hit areas for foreign trade remedy measures.

On December 3, 2008, the European Commission ruled that anti-dumping duties of 63% to 87% should be levied on Chinese carbon steel fasteners in the next five years. Affected by this, hundreds of fastener companies with close contacts with the European Union have been hit and challenged. '1/3 of the companies stopped production, and one-third of the companies were in semi-discontinued state. '

Zhang Feng, deputy secretary-general of Jiaxing Fasteners Import & Export Enterprises Association in Zhejiang Province, told this reporter that from January to October 2010, Jiaxing's exported products (fasteners) for the EU were US$ 30.767 million, compared to 2008. From January to October 104.281 million U.S. dollars, a decrease of 73.514 million U.S. dollars. 'And these two figures also include some products that have not been investigated. It can be said that Jiaxing’s exports of fasteners to the EU have basically disappeared. '

On October 12, 2009, the Chinese government filed a request for the establishment of an expert group to officially launch the trial procedure of the WTO dispute resolution panel. After one year of trial, on December 3, 2010, the WTO expert group issued a report clearly stipulating that the anti-dumping measures taken by the EU against China's carbon steel fasteners violated the WTO rules. The expert group also considered that the EU's "Anti-dumping Basic Regulations" related The 'separate tax rate' requirement does not comply with the WTO rules.

This is the first lawsuit between China and the EU under the WTO framework. 'This is only a temporary result. It is not the 'victory' that some media say. It must be analyzed objectively. ' Du Guosen told this reporter.