The eu plans to raise the final anti-dumping duty rate on Chinese steel rebar from 18.4 per cent to 22.5 per cent, significantly higher than the 9.3 per cent to 13 per cent provisional anti-dumping duty imposed in January.

The commission said it raised the duties after adjusting its calculations, including revising the normal profit margins of eu steel mills, among other factors. The move was seen by market participants as an attempt to undo the damage done to the eu steel industry by dumping imports, after previous "light tariffs" were criticised by local steelmakers for providing inadequate protection against unfair imports. In this light, the European commission has moved to toughen trade-defence measures and remove so-called low-tax rules.

In April last year, at the request of eurofer, the commission began an anti-dumping investigation into imports of rebar steel from China, but is still considering whether to apply retroactive duties.

It is reported that since the beginning of this year, the eu has launched a fierce anti-dumping trend against Chinese steel. In January, the eu began to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of rebar steel from China. In February, it imposed provisional anti-dumping duties on Chinese cold-rolled steel coil.