Brazil’s foreign trade secretariat, Secex, has started an AD investigation into the imports of alloyed flat bars from China, following a request from local producer Gerdau.
According to Secex, the period of analysis that found dumping evidence went from July 2014 to June 2015, while the period of analysis for damages to the local industry started on July 2010 and ended on June 2015.
Secex said other companies interested in the process could send their comments, following 20 days from the date of publication of the resolution on December 21, 2015.
In the request, Gerdau claimed to be Brazil’s largest flat bar producers, being responsible for about 78.1 percent of the product’s output in Brazil from July 2014 to June 2015. ArcelorMittal Brazil also joined the petition. The two companies are the nation’s only flat bar producers, according to Secex.
Secex said non-flat bars, such as circular, hexagonal and square bars, are excluded from the process.
Flat bars produced within specific SAE, ABNT, DIN, AFNOR and COPANT norms were also excluded from the petition, according to Secex. A complete list in Portuguese of the norms that aren’t listed in the current petition can be seen here.