The UK Trade Remedies Authority announced Feb. 20 that the Secretary of State for Business and Trade has accepted its recommendation to maintain an anti-dumping measure on imports of corrosion-resistant steel from China for a further five years.

In a statement, the TRA said that the secretary had accepted its proposal that the duties applicable to Chinese exporters remain unchanged, ranging from 17.2% to 27.9%, until at least Feb. 9, 2028.

A transition review by the TRA into the measure initiated in February 2023 concluded that the dumping of CRS from China in the UK is likely to recur if the anti-dumping measures were removed.

It found that UK producers are likely to be injured by the removal of the measure, which would hinder their efforts to implement decarbonization projects and net zero initiatives.

The TRA determined that following the imposition of the European Union’s measure in 2018, imports into the UK from China fell by 96% from 363,000 mt in 2016 to 16,000 mt in 2018.

The process of making CRS, which is primarily used in the construction and manufacturing industries, effectively makes the steel rustproof. It is used to manufacture products such as domestic appliances, steel vents and fencing.

The TRA estimated the domestic production of CRS contributes around GBP63 million to the UK economy annually.