Brussels opens interim review of Indian stainless steel countervailing duties

The European Commission has opened a partial interim review of the countervailing duties in force on cold rolled stainless steel sheets and coils originating in India, acting on a request from Jindal Stainless Ltd. The review is limited in scope to the examination of subsidy as far as the applicant is concerned, and will assess the need for the continuation, removal or amendment of the existing anti-subsidy measures in respect of that company. The notice of initiation, reference C/2026/4997, was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series, on 30 September 2026.

The procedure rests on Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1037 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on protection against subsidised imports from countries not members of the European Union, the basic anti-subsidy Regulation. The request was submitted on 15 January 2026 by Jindal Stainless Ltd, which argues that the circumstances on the basis of which the existing measures were imposed have changed and that those changes are of a lasting nature. The measures currently in force are the definitive countervailing duties imposed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/433 of 15 March 2022, extended for Indonesia to imports consigned from Taiwan, Türkiye and Vietnam by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1268.

The product and the duties at stake

The product under review is flat-rolled stainless steel, not further worked than cold-rolled (cold reduced). It currently falls under CN codes 7219 31 00, 7219 32 10, 7219 32 90, 7219 33 10, 7219 33 90, 7219 34 10, 7219 34 90, 7219 35 10, 7219 35 90, 7219 90 20, 7219 90 80, 7220 20 21, 7220 20 29, 7220 20 41, 7220 20 49, 7220 20 81, 7220 20 89, 7220 90 20 and 7220 90 80. The notice states that the codes are given for information only, without prejudice to a subsequent change in the tariff classification.

The same product is also subject to anti-dumping measures imposed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2012, as last amended by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/433, and by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1483, extended for Indonesia to imports consigned from Taiwan and Vietnam by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1267.

Why Jindal Stainless is asking

The applicant provided evidence that Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Limited merged into Jindal Stainless Ltd with effect on 2 March 2023, and that Jindal Stainless Ltd acquired 100 % of the shares of Chromeni in June 2024. Chromeni was unrelated to Jindal Stainless Ltd during the original investigation, and the two companies are currently subject to separate countervailing duty rates of 7,5 % and 4,3 % respectively.

According to the request, those changes affect the subsidy margins calculated for both companies, which now form part of the same group of companies and should therefore benefit from a single duty rate. The merger, the integration and refurbishment of Chromeni, substantial improvements to production equipment and changes in the sales structure are said to have increased cost efficiencies, with a consequent impact on the subsidy margins.

Timetable and how to take part

The review investigation period runs from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. The Commission must normally conclude the investigation within 12 months and in any event no later than 15 months from the date of publication of the notice, pursuant to Article 22(1) of the basic Regulation.

• Interested parties wishing to comment on the request or on the initiation have 37 days from publication of the notice.
• Requests for a hearing on the initiation must be submitted within 15 days of publication.
• Unrelated importers must make themselves known within 7 days, using the form in the Annex; the Commission may select a sample of them.
• Sampled importers must return their questionnaire within 30 days of notification of the sample selection, and comments on that selection are due within 3 days.
• The applicant and its related companies will be sent a questionnaire, to be completed within 37 days of receipt.

Non-cooperation carries risk: findings may be made on the basis of facts available under Article 28 of the basic Regulation, and the result may be less favourable to the party concerned. Interested parties may also ask the Hearing Officer to intervene on access to the file, confidentiality, extensions of time limits or other rights of defence.

A parallel expiry review

The notice records that, on the same day, the Commission published a notice of initiation of an expiry review of the countervailing duty applicable to imports of cold rolled stainless steel sheets and coils originating in India and Indonesia (OJ C, C/2026/4857). Pending the completion of that expiry review investigation, the measures continue to be in force.

For the Union steel sector the outcome matters beyond a single company: if the Commission grants Jindal Stainless Ltd a single, recalculated rate, the duty burden on the group’s exports to the Union could shift, while the parallel expiry review keeps the wider Indian and Indonesian measures alive for the time being. The proceeding is registered as case 2909 in the Commission’s trade defence system, with correspondence handled by the Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C series, C/2026/4997, 30 September 2026, section I (official reference: C/2026/4997).