The quick and angry reaction of EU mills and the European Commission (EC) to the ITC's recommendation that the US government erect a high tariff wall against all manner of imports, reflects the immediate pain existing and threatened action in the USA has already inflicted on European producers. Tonnage diverted to the EU has confounded attempts by mills to restore market balance by cutting their own output. Imports are now flowing into the EU faster than into the USA.Eurofer keeps watch on surges in imports but has not set up a barrage of anti-dumping cases on US lines. It has, however, said it is preparing a formal complaint against Macedonia. The former Yugoslav republic has a general trade agreement with the EU that covers steel, and Eurofer has noted a big increase in exports of plate to the EU, mostly to Italy, from Duferco's 260,000tpy Makstil plate mill. The EC seems to suspect that Macedonia is being used as a conduit for steel from other producers, and has set up detailed procedures for checking true origins of products and misdeclarations.
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