On April 25, 2013, the company Ternium México S.A. de C.V. requested investigation to ascertain the existence of circumventing practices that would challenge the definitive anti-dumping duty imposed on August 31, 2011 on imports of flat hot-rolled steel products from Russia (see related intervention).
The petitioner argued that since 2010, and particularly in 2012, imports of boron-alloyed flat hot-rolled steel products originating in Russia - classified under HS codes 7225.3004, 7225.3005, 7225.4003 and 7225.4004 - have increased in order to avoid the payment of the aforementioned anti-dumping duty. According to the petitioner, boron-alloyed flat hot-rolled steel products, originating in Russia, have relatively minor differences in comparison to flat hot-rolled steel products, whose imports are subject to the payment of an anti-dumping duty.
On July 15, 2013, the Mexican Ministry of Economy decided to initiate an investigation on the circumvention of the anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of flat hot-rolled steel products from Russia (classified under HS codes 7208.1099, 7208.2601, 7208.2701, 7208.3801 and 7208.3901) by imports of goods classified under the following HS codes: 7225.3004, 7225.3005, 7225.4003 and 7225.4004. The investigation started on the day following the publication of the resolution in the Official Journal of the Federation, i.e. on July 20, 2013.
On March 7, 2014, the Mexican authorities decided to impose a definitive anti-dumping duty on imports of boron-alloyed flat hot-rolled steel products (boron content equal to or greater than 0.0008%), width equal to or greater than 600 mm, thickness less than 4.75 mm, regardless of length, from Russia.
The rate of this definitive anti-dumping duty is 21%.This duty entered into force on the day following the publication of the resolution in the Official Journal of the Federation, i.e. on March 22, 2014.
