Commission opens anti-dumping probe into steel cables from India, Thailand, Türkiye

The European Commission has opened an anti-dumping investigation into imports of certain steel wire ropes and cables originating in India, Thailand and Türkiye, after a complaint lodged on behalf of the Union industry. The notice of initiation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series, on 24 September 2026 under reference C/2026/4914.

Legal basis and complainant

The proceeding is opened under Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union, the so-called basic Regulation. The complaint was lodged on 10 August 2026 by the European Federation of Steel Wire Rope Industries (EWRIS), acting on behalf of Union producers of the product concerned.

The complainant submitted evidence that imports from the three countries have increased overall both in absolute terms and in terms of market share, and that volumes and prices have had a negative impact on the quantities sold, the price level and the market share held by the Union industry, with substantial adverse effects on its overall performance, financial situation and employment.

Product under investigation

The product subject to the investigation is defined as:

• Steel ropes and cables, including locked coil ropes.
• Excluding ropes and cables of stainless steel.
• With a maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeding 3 mm.

The product is currently classified under CN codes ex 7312 10 81, ex 7312 10 83, ex 7312 10 85, ex 7312 10 89 and ex 7312 10 98, with fifteen corresponding TARIC codes. The Commission states that these codes are given for information only and without prejudice to a subsequent change in tariff classification.

Dumping allegations and investigation period

For India and Thailand, the allegation of dumping compares a normal value based on domestic prices, and also on a constructed normal value covering manufacturing costs, selling, general and administrative costs and profit, with the export price at ex-works level. For Türkiye, in the absence of reliable domestic price data, the comparison uses only a constructed normal value against the export price. The dumping margins calculated on this basis are described as significant for all three countries.

The investigation of dumping and injury will cover the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, while the examination of injury trends covers from 1 January 2023 to the end of that investigation period.

Procedure, deadlines and registration

Interested parties face a set of deadlines counted from publication of the notice:

• 10 days to submit information on the product scope.
• 7 days for exporting producers and unrelated importers to provide sampling information.
• 15 days to request a hearing on the initiation of the investigation.
• 37 days to comment on the complaint, on injury and causality, or on the initiation, and to submit Union interest information under Article 21.
• 30 days for sampled companies to return completed questionnaires.

The Commission intends to instruct customs authorities to register imports of the product at an early stage of the investigation, which may lead to retroactive collection of definitive duties. Provisional measures may be imposed no later than seven months, and in any event not later than eight months, from publication; the investigation must be concluded within one year, and at most 14 months. The case is registered as AD759.

Impact

The outcome matters directly to European importers, traders and steel wire rope producers: registration of imports from the date of the implementing regulation would expose importers to retroactive duties if measures are finally imposed, while the sampling decisions will determine which companies face individual dumping margins. The Commission will also weigh whether measures would be in the Union interest, a test that gives importers, users and trade unions a formal channel to argue against duties.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C/2026/4914, 24.9.2026, C series, p. 1 (official reference: C/2026/4914).