4
Fastener & Fixing
Through a
Magazine
18 Alban Park,
mirror, darkly
Hatfield Road,
St Albans,
Hertfordshire,
AL4 OJJ, UK
Some of you now know in detail what the European Commission is
planning in relation to the AD525 antidumping case. Some of you, who
Tel: 0044 (0) 1727 739 150
are not members of an association, or who did not take advantage of
By Phil Matten
Fax: 0044 (0) 1727 831 033
the very short window at the beginning of the investigation to register Publisher
as an interested party in the case, may not, or may only have second hand information. Jeremy Ramsdale
Unfortunately, right now there is not a lot this magazine can do to assist understanding of a jerry@fastfair.net
document that has vital significance to, surely, every business in the European fastener market,
Editor
and many across the world.
Phil Matten
If you sense some frustration, you would be right. The European Commission has made it clear to this
phil@fastfair.net
magazine that disclosing the contents of its, ironically titled, General Disclosure Document, proposing
the imposition of definitive measures in the AD525 antidumping case, would contravene the provisions
Assistant Editor
Will Lowry
of the 1995 Antidumping Regulation. We have sought clarification but it has not been forthcoming prior
will@fastfair.net
to our print deadline. As a small, independent company we have little choice but to ‘play it safe’ and
have, therefore, restricted our reporting to information that is, unquestionably, in public purview.
Advertising Director
To say that we are unhappy to offer such a limited reflection of absolutely critical issues, and that this
Jamie Mitchell
runs deeply contrary to our commitment to inform the industry on crucial developments, would be
jamie@fastfair.net
something of an understatement.
Senior Advertising
It may well be unfair to criticise members of the Commission’s Trade team who are obliged to work
Executive
strictly within provisions of the regulation. However, the result of, what is in reality, limited disclosure is Harry Whyte
effectively anti-competitive in that some fastener businesses are now better informed to make harry@fastfair.net
commercial decisions than others. Of course, the outcome of the case is by no means certain, and the
Advertising Executive
25 November meeting of the EU Antidumping Committee is of momentous importance to this industry
Claire Lake
and many, many people in it.
claire@fastfair.net
The Commission may be concerned to prevent premature reaction to its proposal. If so, it is
extraordinarily naïve to believe that information of this significance can be restricted and its use limited
Production Manager
Gemma Edwards
to providing comments to the investigation. There is no question that Chinese exporters have been
production@fastfair.net
bombarded with order cancellations, equating to many hundreds of containers. It would also stretch
credulity to suggest that European manufacturers, and their counterparts across Asia, are not carefully
Fastener & Fixing Magazine
is a dedicated, trade-only
reviewing pricing strategies for new enquiries.
publication which is
If any other measure of the vital importance of the proposal was needed it can be seen in the
circulated freely throughout
the European trade.
unprecedented stream of emails and calls seeking further information, received by this magazine over
the last ten days.
Disclaimer
The Publisher cannot be held
Whatever the outcome of the case, and it has never been for this magazine to take sides, there are
responsible or, in any way, liable for errors
real concerns about the manner in which the proposal has been developed – concerns that really cannot
or omissions, during input or printing of
any material supplied or contained herein
be assuaged by saying that everything has been ‘done by the rulebook’. Frustratingly, at this stage it is
although the utmost care is taken to
not possible to explore those concerns in the detail we would wish. However, in my fairly long and
ensure that information contained is
chequered commercial experience it has never been acceptable to construct a far-reaching decision on a
accurate and up to date. The Publisher
also cannot be held liable for any claims
sample of one. That is the statistical equivalent of constructing a pyramid on one of its points – not the made by advertisers or in contributions
most stabile of structures. That, though, is precisely what seems to have happened. That there may also
from individuals or companies submitted
for inclusion within this publication.
be serious questions about the independence of that sample, simply adds to the level of concern. The opinions expressed are not
It may be that everything is according to the antidumping regulation and, it may be that the only
necessarily those of the
Editor or Fastener Fairs Limited.
expedient route has been taken to arrive at a decision within the prescribed timeframe but… as, Lord
Chief Justice Hewart memorably said in 1924, “justice should not only be done, but should manifestly
Copyright
Entire contents copyright
and undoubtedly be seen to be done”.
© Fastener Fairs Limited
For our January issue we are inviting comment from across the European fastener industry on the
No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
antidumping case, and probably by then, its outcome. To make your voice heard please email me
system, or transmitted in any form
directly at phil@fastfair.net
or by any means without the prior
permission of the publisher.
In the meantime we will continue to report everything we are able on the News section of
www.fastenerfair.com and through email alerts to those registered to receive our digital magazine or
Annual subscription (6 issues) to
non-trade and outside EU is
breaking news alerts. To add your email to the digital database just complete the form on the website.
£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  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145