No dumping margins for coated flat steel imports to Brazil, Secex says

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The decision, published in Brazil’s official gazette, says that, even though the existence of dumping has been determined, Secex did not conclude that such imports have damaged the domestic industry.

Opened in April 2011 following a request from Brazilian steelmaker CSN and extended for up to six months from April 18 this year, the case investigated imports of galvanized, galvalume and pre-painted flat steel products from Australia, South Korea, India, Mexico and China.

Secex confirmed the existence of dumping in imports from all these countries except South Korea.

The three South Korean mills investigated registered negative dumping margins between January and December 2010, according to Secex. These were -1.6% in the case of Dongbu Steel, -2% for Union Steel and -4.5% for Hyundai Hysco.

Dumping margins for Australia’s Bluscope reached 50.5%, the highest of all.

China’s Wuhan Iron & Steel had a margin of 29.1%, the same as Zhangjiagang Wanda Steel Strip and Tangshan Iron & Steel.

For Baoshan Iron & Steel, Baosteel America and Changshu Everbright Material Technology, Secex calculated a 27.8% margin.

The margin for Posco Mexico was calculated at 24.1%.

Finally, Angang Steel had a margin of 22.1%.

Indian steelmakers JSW Steel and Essar Steel were also investigated, but Secex did not calculate their margins because of a lack of data.

In the 144-page document, Secex says that “a combination of factors influenced the performance” of the Brazilian industry during the whole analysed period of 2006-10.

“What has been observed is the domestic industry having presented better performance than in other periods in which these factors were not present,” Secex noted.

“Thus, it could not be concluded that the domestic industry has suffered damage from imports at dumped prices,” the ministry added.