BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has ordered that imports from China of steel used to reinforce concrete be subject to registration, meaning that tariffs would be applicable from this month should it determine the product is being dumped in Europe.
The Commission launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of high fatigue performance (HFP) steel concrete reinforcement bars from China in April following a complaint from European steel association Eurofer.
HFP rebar endures repeated stress without breaking and is principally used in Britain and Ireland. EU producers include Spain's Celsa Group, Italy's Gruppo Riva SpA and ArcelorMittal (AS:ISPA).
The registration order, published in the European Union's official journal on Friday and applicable from Saturday, follows a request from Eurofer on Nov. 19.
It is the second such order for a steel product in a week. Imports of cold flat-rolled flat steel from China and Russia are also now subject to registration.
Customs authorities will have to register Chinese HFP rebar imports from Dec. 19, meaning duties would apply for incoming product from then if the Commission concludes that it is being sold at unfairly low prices.
The Commission could apply provisional measures by Jan. 30, 2016, and make definitive duties, which typically last for five years, by July 29.
Eurofer says the average dumping margin - the amount by which the normal market price exceeds the export price - is 20-30 percent.
The steel group says the registration procedure is justified because importers are well aware of dumping and that, since the investigation was launched in April, imports have increased.
Imports of Chinese HFP rebar rose by 38 percent in the period April-Sept 2015, compared with the same period in 2014, the Commission said.