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The Devil Is in the Detail: A First Guide on the EU’s New Trade Defence Rules

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Global Politics and EU Trade Policy

Part of the book series: European Yearbook of International Economic Law ((Spec. Issue))

Abstract

The article gives an overview about the main changes in the EU’s anti-dumping legislation. Going beyond the mere reproduction of the legislative changes on the new methodology (Regulation 2017/2321) and the modernisation (Regulation 2018/825), the author gives a first-hand guide on their possible interpretation and use in practice. He argues that the new rules keep the main political balance between the protection of producing interests and the respect for importing interests and downstream industry in intact. However, Hoffmeister also opines that in many instances the “devil is in the detail” when it comes to the application of the new rules.

The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect an official position of the European Commission.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Regulation (EU) 2017/ 2321 on amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union and Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 on protection against subsidized imports from countries not members of the European Union [2017] OJ L 338/3.

  2. 2.

    Regulation (EU) 2018/825 on amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union and Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union [2018] OJ L 143/1.

  3. 3.

    GLOBAL EUROPE Europe’s trade defence instruments in a changing global economy: A Green Paper for public consultation, COM (2006) 763 final.

  4. 4.

    For details on the green book debate see Folkert Graafsma/Joris Cornelis, ‘The EC’s Green Paper on Trade Defence Instruments: Guillotine on Anti-dumping or Smokescreen for More Basic Predicaments?’ (2007) 2 Global Trade and Customs Journal 7/8, 255.

  5. 5.

    COM (2013) 192 final.

  6. 6.

    For details of the proposal see Frank Hoffmeister, ‘Modernising the EU’s Trade Defence Instruments: Mission Impossible?’ in Christoph Herrmann/Bruno Simma/Rudolf Streinz (eds), Trade Policy between Law, Diplomacy and Scholarship – Liber amicorum in Memoriam Horst G. Krenzler (Springer 2015), 365-376.

  7. 7.

    For a description of the different views on TDI in the political families of the European Parliament see Brian Petter/Reinhard Quick, ‘The Politics of TDI and the Different Views in EU Member States: Necessary Safety-Valve or Luxurious Rent-Seeking Device?’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018), 17, 29-30.

  8. 8.

    For details of the legislative history see Edwin Vermulst/Juhi Dion Sud, ‘The new rules adopted by the European Union to address “significant distortions”’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 63, 66-69.

  9. 9.

    Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 47.

  10. 10.

    http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2017/december/tradoc_156474.pdf.

  11. 11.

    http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2018/march/tradoc_156630.pdf.

  12. 12.

    Edwin Vermulst/Juhi Dion Sud, ‘The new rules adopted by the European Union to address “significant distortions”’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 63,71.

  13. 13.

    Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 58.

  14. 14.

    See Annex VIII to Regulation (EU) 978/2012 on applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and repealing [2012] OJ L 303, 1.

  15. 15.

    Notice of Initiation of an expiry review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware originating in the People’s Republic of China [2018] OJ C 167, 6.

  16. 16.

    Matthew Kennedy, ‘The integration of accession protocols in the WTO Agreement’ (2013) 47 Journal of World Trade, 45-75.

  17. 17.

    See Michael Hahn, ‘The Multilateral and EU Legal Framework on TDIs: An Introduction’ in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 3, 6-10.

  18. 18.

    For discussion of the different interpretations of this provision see Dong Fan, ‘EU – Price Comparison Methodologies (DS516): Interpretation of Section 15 of China’s WTO Accession Protocol’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 107-123.

  19. 19.

    For a discussion of the WTO compatibility of the new methodology see Christian Tietje/Vinzenz Sacher, ‘The New Anti-Dumping Methodology – A breach of WTO law?’ in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 89-105; Edwin Vermulst/Juhi Dion Sud, ‘The new rules adopted by the European Union to address “significant distortions”’, ibid. 78-85 and in this volume.

  20. 20.

    Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 46. The Commission had also pursued a sixth objective, namely the facilitation of the investigation. According to the Commission communication of 2013, action in that field would not require legislative change. However, with the new SME provision in Article 5 (1a) BR, the co-legislator also integrated this idea into the new legislation.

  21. 21.

    Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/942 on imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of tungsten carbide, fused tungsten carbide and tungsten carbide simply mixed with metallic powder originating in the People’s Republic of China following an expiry review pursuant to Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 [2017] OJ L 142, 53, Recitals 213-220.

  22. 22.

    Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1795 on imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel originating in Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine and terminating the investigation on imports of certain hot-rolled flat products of iron, non-alloy or other alloy steel originating in Serbia [2017] OJ L 258, 24, Recitals 414-553 and 625-636.

  23. 23.

    Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 50.

  24. 24.

    Case T-210/95, EFMA v. Council, ECLI:EU:T:1999:273, para. 60.

  25. 25.

    Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 48.

  26. 26.

    Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’, in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 52.

  27. 27.

    Appellate Body Report of 29 November 2005, WTO/DS/295 – Mexico, Beef and Rice.

  28. 28.

    Regulation No. 400/2010 of the Council on extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Regulation (EC) No 1858/2005 on imports of steel ropes and cables originating, inter alia, in the People’s Republic of China to imports of steel ropes and cables consigned from the Republic of Korea, [2010] OJ L 117, Recital 80; Regulation No. 723/2011 of the Council on extending the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed by Regulation (EC) No 91/2009 on imports of certain iron or steel fasteners originating in the People’s Republic of China to imports of certain iron or steel fasteners consigned from Malaysia,[2011] OJ L 194, Recital 64.

  29. 29.

    For detail see Hartmann B (2019), ‘Commentary on Article 21 of the Basic Regulation’ in Günter Krenzler/Christoph Herrmann/Marian Niestedt EU-Außenwirtschafts- und Zollrecht, Ergänzungslieferung 2019.

  30. 30.

    For details on this provision see Wolfgang Müller, ‘The EU’s new trade defence law – a two steps approach’ in Bungenberg Marc et al (eds) The Future of Trade Defence Instruments (Springer 2018) 45, 52-53.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium

    Frank Hoffmeister

  2. European Commission, Brussels, Belgium

    Frank Hoffmeister

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  1. German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer, Speyer, Germany

    Wolfgang Weiß  & Cornelia Furculita  & 

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Hoffmeister, F. (2020). The Devil Is in the Detail: A First Guide on the EU’s New Trade Defence Rules. In: Weiß, W., Furculita, C. (eds) Global Politics and EU Trade Policy. European Yearbook of International Economic Law(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34588-4_10

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