Pakistan has imposed a 24.04% definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of billet from China for a period of five years from 22 June, Kallanish learns from Pakistan’s National Tariff Commission (NTC). The duty will be levied on the cfr price of these imports.

The move follows an AD probe launched all the way back in August 2015 on the request of Amreli Steels, Agha Steel Industries (ASI) and ASG Metals, part of Abbas Steel Group. The products covered fall under HS codes 7207.1110, 7207.1190, 7207.1210, 7207.1290, 7207.1910, 7207.1920, 7207.1990, 7207.2010, 7207.2020, 7207.2090, 7224.1000, and 7224.9000. These include square and round billet, slab and alloy steel semi-finished products.

The period of investigation for investigation of dumping was 1 April 2014-31 March 2015 and for investigation of injury was 1 April 2012-31 March 2015.

The definitive duty determination was made in February but not disclosed due to an interim order of the Sindh High Court in suit no. 1661 of 2015. The court dismissed this suit on 2 June, allowing the decision to be made effective.

The duty does not apply to imported billet used as feedstock to roll finished products destined for export.

In 2015 the Competition Commission of Pakistan said Pakistan’s 15% regulatory duty on billet imports was creating “… barriers to expansion for the existing re-rolling mills and barriers to entry for potential aspirants.” Pakistani crude steelmakers were unlikely to sell billet at competitive prices to re-rollers as they were in direct competition, it added.

Pakistan is also undertaking an AD probe into rebar imports from China. Last month it decided not to impose provisional AD duties despite determining a 52.52% dumping margin on these products (see Kallanish 29 May).

Earlier this year Amreli Steels approved a further expansion of billet and rebar capacity to 600,000 tonnes/year and 750,000 t/y respectively. ASI, meanwhile, ordered a new 300,000 t/y rebar mill from Primetals last month.