EU SETS HIGHER TARIFFS ON DUMPED AND SUBSIDISED IMPORTS

Higher tariffs can be imposed on dumped or subsidised imports in order to better protect EU jobs and businesses, under a December 2017 informal agreement approved by the European Parliament in May 2018.

The new measures target unfair trade practices from non-EU countries and complement the recently approved anti-dumping rules focusing on non-EU countries.

According to the proposal of the regulation adopted by the European Parliament, the EU will be able to protect itself better against unfairly cheap imports and to combat environmental or social dumping, using several tools, such as establishing help-desk for SMEs dealing with complaints and investigative proceedings. The new regulation describes in addition that trade unions will be involved in investigations and the assessment on the duties to be imposed. Further, all products arriving at the EU will be strictly monitored from the moment when an investigation is notified until its actual commencement and registered to avoid stockpiling.

The new regulation enters into force in the first half of June 2018.