Polish steel mills accused of dumping practices, EC to take action

The European Commission (EC) under pressure from the European Union (EU) association of steel producers, Eurofer, started anti-dumping proceedings against Polish steel exporters. Polish diplomats are indignant at the EC's decision because it hits plans to restructure steel mills. Poland has already limited steel production to comply with EC rules so that the state can grant aid to steel mills, but now new barriers to exports to EU co untries would make the restructuring process even harder. Eurofer complained that Polish producers were exporting their products at 12% lower prices than they sold them on the domestic market which reduced EU countries' turnover on the steel market by 9.9%. Stalprojekt, a Polish steel producer, said that exported steel is of lower quality, hence the lower price. Poland has 15 days to decide to cooperate with the EC. If it refuses protection duties will be automatically introduced. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B1) A.D.