This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
4
Fastener & Fixing
Please tell us what’s
Magazine
18 Alban Park,
going on
Hatfield Road,
St Albans,
Hertfordshire,
AL4 OJJ, UK
Over the last few months the upheaval in the raw material market has
Tel: 0044 (0) 1727 739 150
eclipsed the antidumping investigation. Based on the emails I have
received in recent weeks - all variants on “please tell us what’s going on” - By Phil Matten
Fax: 0044 (0) 1727 831 033
attention is clearly refocusing as the 9 August deadline for an Publisher
announcement on preliminary tariffs looms.
Jeremy Ramsdale
Truth is no one is really the wiser, or likely to be, until the Commission publishes its decision in the
jerry@fastfair.net
Official Journal of the European Union. The investigation proceedings are strictly confidential - probably an
unavoidable, but certainly frustrating, necessity. The high level of interest in this particular case appears to
Editor
have made the Commission even more intent on ensuring secrecy.
Phil Matten
It is evident, though, that market economy status (MES) has been refused to Chinese fastener producers. phil@fastfair.net
This means the dumping margins, on which the tariff decision is based, will be determined by comparing
Chinese export prices with domestic prices in a market economy. India remains the most likely candidate,
Assistant Editor
despite deep reservations expressed by opponents to the complaint. The key implication is that tariffs, if
Will Lowry
applied, will be significantly higher than were MES to have been granted to the Chinese factories.
will@fastfair.net
One persistent suggestion at present is that the Commission may decide not to apply preliminary tariffs;
Advertising Director
instead using the additional period until a definitive decision is required in January to continue its
Jamie Mitchell
investigation. Now, this magazine has tried to be careful to avoid adding fuel to the blaze of speculation
jamie@fastfair.net
that periodically billows smoke across the industry. However, there are enough indicators at the moment
to, at least, make this scenario worthy of consideration. Senior Advertising
The case has proven extremely complex and demanding – cause for little surprise to anyone within the
Executive
fastener industry but, significantly, something acknowledged by investigators on a number of occasions
Harry Whyte
recently. There may also be an added complication since the Commission instigated an investigation into
harry@fastfair.net
alleged dumping of wire rod from China, Turkey and Moldova on 8 May. Representatives of the Chinese
fastener industry have been quick to highlight that the refusal to grant MES was largely based on an
Advertising Executive
assessment that the cost of Chinese wire rod is distorted – pre-empting, they argue, the outcome of the Claire Lake
wire rod investigation.
claire@fastfair.net
What is clear, as this is written early in July, is that the investigators are still actively encouraging the
submission of formal evidence. So, whatever the reasoning, it does appear feasible the Commission might
Production Manager
issue a status report ahead of the preliminary tariff deadline and continue investigating.
Gemma Edwards
That could, I suppose, be good news for objectors in one sense, allowing further opportunities to
production@fastfair.net
present evidence to challenge the complaint. However, it would also mean the uncertainly grinding on into
2009 – prolonging the corrosive effect on the businesses of all the stakeholders.
Fastener & Fixing Magazine
The investigators are tightly bound by the provisions of the EU antidumping regulation and, I have no
is a dedicated, trade-only
doubt, are intent on doing a thorough job. Nevertheless, it is hard not to feel a sense of the emperor
publication which is
circulated freely throughout
fiddling while Rome burns. Market conditions have changed dramatically since September 2007 when the
the European trade.
complaint was lodged. Those changes may or may not have altered the basic premise of the complaint
but, at the least, they must bring into question whether a decision based strictly on 2006-2007 data can Disclaimer
be accurately applied in 2009. The Publisher cannot be held
I am sure it is far too much to expect but, if the investigation is to continue, the Commission would
responsible or, in any way, liable for
demonstrate a real empathy towards the fastener industry as a whole by defining a specific date on
errors or omissions, during input
which, not by which, a decision will be announced. That way companies could get on with business in the
or printing, of any material supplied or
contained herein. The Publisher also
interim, already complicated enough, rather than operating with a sword suspended on a hair above their
cannot be held liable for any claims
heads.
made by advertisers
Of course, by the time you read this, a decision may already have been announced and you will know or in contributions from individuals
what I certainly do not, right now.
or companies submitted for
inclusion within this publication.
Promoting professionalism
Copyright
Entire contents copyright
I have always been very impressed by the Certified Fastener Specialist training program, delivered by
© Fastener Fairs Limited
the Los Angeles Fastener Association since 1998. Over 600 people have participated in the program since
No part of this publication may
its inception, with more than 200 achieving graduation. As you will see from our North American News be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
pages, courtesy of Fastenernews.com, LAFA’s Fastener Training Institute has now partnered with the
system, or transmitted in any form
Industrial Fastener Institute to offer a concentrated version of the course nationally. IFI has also now
or by any means without the prior
launched an online Fastener Technical Data Service, which I look forward to exploring. I do not see
permission of the publisher.
equivalent initiatives in the European fastener industry. Maybe I haven’t been looking in the right places, in
Annual subscription (6 issues) to
which case hopefully someone will put me right, or maybe there is a real opportunity to learn from our
non-trade and outside EU is
colleagues across the Atlantic. £80/€120/$160
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com