More than two-thirds of the steel used in Poland are imported. Some of the products imported from abroad goes to the domestic market after the rogue, low prices – alert the Polish steel producers, postulating effective protection of the EU market from dumping, among others, China and Belarus.
On Monday, employers and trade unions in the steel industry from several countries of the EU organized a march in Brussels against the dumping of steel from China, which destroys jobs in Europe and violates the principle of free and fair trade. Also they appealed for niedawanie China market economy status (MES). The protest was also attended by representatives of the Polish steel mills and trade and industry organizations.
According to estimates, last year Belarus and China flowed into Polish more than 450 thousand. tons of steel products (including Belarus 300 thous. tons, two times more than in 2014). – the domestic production of crude steel less than 9 million tonnes and Polish steel consumption exceeding 12 million tonnes per year. Environment Metallurgical indicates a lack of effective protection of the EU market, thus strengthening on the fraudulent import, that offer products at prices below the cost of production.
From 2013. Import of steel products from China to the EU has doubled. In Poland, we have to deal with imports mainly from Belarus and Russia, the mechanism is the same – producers from third countries to sell their products on the European market at unfair prices. Many countries have implemented effective mechanisms to protect their own markets and in the EU anti-dumping procedures are tedious and complex – commented on Monday participating in the Brussels march general manager and vice president of ArcelorMittal Poland (AMP) Geert Verbeeck.
AMP is the largest steel producer in Poland, bringing together more than two-thirds of the production capacity of Polish steel plants. According to the Vice President, faster and more efficient procedures for dumping in the EU and nienadawanie China market economy status is a sensitive matter for the Polish market. These issues are of particular importance in the case of Polish, where steel consumption is increasing: in 2015 reached the levels before the global crisis, and exceeded 12 million tons – said Verbeeck.
Estimates Metallurgical Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HIPH) in Katowice show that last year the Polish economy consumed approx. 12.5 million tons of steel to 12.3 million tonnes a year earlier. Also this year is expected to increase consumption. The share of consumption unfair imports.
For example. Belarus increased production capacity, and exports of the country redirects from the Russian to the EU (eg to the depreciation of the ruble, the slowdown of the Russian economy and the reduction of exports from Russia to China’s economic release). Advantage of Belarus due to, among others, of giving in this country Junktown the steel (which cost so. Technology electric furnace is approx. 60 per cent. the cost of steel production) the status of the strategic raw materials from regulated prices at very low levels. At the same time large industrial and state administration are obliged to supply certain quantities of scrap Belarusian steelworks.
On the other hand, in the context of China, the European Association of Iron and Steel Industries (Eurofer) emphasis of recently that steel imported at dumped prices from the country in an amount that has doubled in the last 18 months, flooding the EU market, becoming the direct cause of the closure of plants and the liquidation jobs throughout the European steel sector. According to Eurofer surplus steel production in China is 400 million tonnes a year – to the whole of European demand for steel of 155 million tonnes.
President of CMC Poland (formerly Huta Zawiercie) Jerzy Kozicz rating on Monday that market economy status (MES) to China would be a disaster for the whole European industry. He stressed that China meets only one of the five market economy criteria (abolished barter), and several large countries (including the US, Canada and Japan) announced that it would not be permitted to recognize China as a market economy; in this situation, the effects of a grant China MES would suffer only the countries of the Union.
Giving the status of the MES to China will cause all existing mechanisms to protect the EU market will stop working, and taking into account the closure of many other markets, the countries of the EU touches tsunami unfair Chinese imports – rated Kozicz. He cited the opinion of prof. Robert Scott of the Economic Policy Institute, according to which as a result of granting China MES status in Europe only in the industrial sector could disappear up to 3.5 million jobs.
The case also has an environmental aspect, because in Europe are the most modern and energy-efficient installations Metallurgical. European mills define global standards for reducing CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, the products manufactured in China are associated with significantly higher carbon emissions. It calculated that last year the production of one million tons of steel in China was associated CO2 emissions by more than 40 percent. higher than the same production in steel mills in the EU.
The EU has instruments of market protection (TDI), but – in the opinion of the metallurgical environment – the pace of the duties is very slow. Hence the demand for an urgent adaptation of commercial law and acceleration of anti-dumping action.
According to HIPH, granting China market economy status would reduce m. al. the possibility of applying to the country’s anti-dumping measures (against China initiated 80 per cent. of all EU anti-dumping investigations). Expected in connection with the growth of imports from China to the EU could reach 25-50 per cent., Which would translate into a decrease in the EU industry by 1-2 percent. GDP (114-228 billion euros) and a threat to 1,7-3,5 million jobs, including 145-290 thousand. in Poland and 350 thousand. throughout the EU steel industry. (PAP)
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