LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will maintain anti-dumping measures on heavy plate steel from China for a further five years, it said on Wednesday, after a recommendation from the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) that British industry would suffer if they were removed.
Britain has been taking measures against cheap Chinese imports of steel to help protect its domestic industry, with ministers pledging to protect the sector from unfair competition.
Heavy plate steel is used in industries such as construction, mining, oil & gas and shipbuilding.
Britain has two producers: Spartan UK, based in eastern England, and Liberty Steel Dalzell, based in Scotland.
The TRA, a government body which defends against unfair international trade practices, said that without an extension of the measures the two companies would be unlikely to be able to compete and their plants could face closure.
Anti-dumping duties mean that Britain can take action when goods are being sold below their normal value.
Britain extended such duties on Chinese reinforcement steel in March and cold rolled flat steel from China and Russia last August.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
