As announced last month, the European Commission has imposed provisional antidumping duties on imports of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) originating from Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. into the European Union, with the measures coming into force on April 12, the day following the publication of the implementing regulation in the Official Journal of the EU, as is the Commission’s practice.
The Commission has imposed rates of duty ranging from 34 percent for all Russian producers except Acron, which faces a 31.9 percent duty; 22.6 percent against U.S. producers, including CF Industries Holdings Inc.; and 16.3 percent against Trinidad and Tobago’s Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Ltd. and for all other Trinidad and Tobago producers. EuroChem’s Novomoskovsky Azot and Nevinnomyssky Azot face a 34 percent duty. The antidumping levies are expressed on the CIF Union border price, customs duty unpaid.
The Commission launched its antidumping investigation in August of last year, following a complaint filed by Brussels-based Fertilizers Europe on behalf of 55 percent of the EU UAN solutions industry production (GM Aug. 17, 2018).
Last month, the Commission reported that it had found sufficient evidence that UAN imports from the three countries are being dumped in the EU, and that exporting producers from those nations practice dumping (GM March 22, p. 1). It also upheld that there is enough evidence of alleged injury to the EU’s UAN industry, including a decline in market share and “a negative development of other key performance indicators.” It consequently announced its intention to impose provisional antidumping measures on imports of UAN originating from the three affected countries.
The provisional antidumping measures will apply for a period of six months, during which time the Commission will complete its investigation. It has until Oct. 11 to announce the imposition of any definitive measures, which usually last for five years. The Commission said in view of its findings at this provisional stage, the registration of UAN imports coming into the EU from the three countries, which began on March 22 for a three-week period, has now ceased (GM March 22, p. 1).
It said no decision on possible retroactive application of antidumping measures has been taken out at this stage of the proceedings, and that such a decision will be taken at the definitive stage.