The World Trade Organization (WTO) has released an addendum to its report in the dispute panel concerning the EU’s antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of stainless steel cold rolled flat products from Indonesia.
The WTO stated that the EU had acted inconsistently with some WTO rules in a dispute over its duties on the given products from Indonesia and recommended that the EU bring its measures into conformity with the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and the Antidumping Agreement.
Background
Indonesia requested dispute consultations in 2023, challenging the EU’s imposition of both countervailing and antidumping duties on stainless steel cold rolled flat products, arguing that the EU’s investigations and resulting measures violate WTO rules, including GATT 1994 and the Antidumping Agreement, as SteelOrbis previously reported.
The EU’s definitive antidumping duties on imports of stainless steel cold rolled flat products from Indonesia are at the range of 9.3-20.2 percent and its countervailing duties range at 0-21.4 percent.
The case is among a number of trade disputes between the EU and Indonesia, even as they finalized a free trade deal in September.
Implications
The addendum does not deliver final rulings on substantive issues. If the panel sides with Indonesia on key points, the EU may be required to adjust or withdraw parts of its duties.