Russia demands WTO arbiter panel on rolled steel dispute with EU

MOSCOW, Mar 14 (PRIME) -- Russia has asked the World Trade Organization (WTO) to form an arbiter panel in its dispute with the E.U. on the union’s anti-dumping duty on cold-rolled steel imports, the Economic Development Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The duties, introduced in 2016, amount to 18.7% for products of Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), to 34% for Severstal, and to 36.1% for Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) and other companies, the ministry said.

“The dispute settlement procedure of the WTO says that a stage of formal consultations should precede submission of the request. We have held these consultations with the E.U., but failed to agree on the ways to settle the dispute that would satisfy both sides,” the statement read.

In November 2016, Severstal and NLMK filed a suit to the E.U. General Court against the duties, saying the decision was inappropriate as the E.U. had made serious mistakes during the anti-dumping investigation.

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