The UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade has held its first public hearing as part of the UAE’s inaugural anti-dumping investigation into imports of heavy steel sections from China.
Michael Rion, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates Steel, said the company attended the hearing, noting that the investigation addresses broader issues related to fair competition, domestic manufacturing sustainability, and the resilience of strategic supply chains supporting the UAE’s development.
Rion said heavy steel sections are critical inputs for infrastructure projects such as buildings, bridges, transport systems, ports, power plants, and oil and gas facilities, including offshore installations. He added that the UAE had not historically been a major destination for such imports, but trade barriers introduced in other regions redirected significant volumes toward open markets, including the UAE, increasing pressure on domestic producers.
He said the company supports competition but stressed that it should be based on quality, innovation, reliability, and responsible market practices, rather than price distortions caused by dumping.
The investigation was initiated in October 2024 following a complaint filed by Emirates Steel, the UAE’s sole producer of heavy steel sections, alleging that Chinese imports were entering the market at dumped prices and causing material injury.
The probe covers heavy sections of iron or non-alloy and alloy steel, not further worked than hot-rolled, hot-drawn, or hot-extruded, under HS subheadings 721631, 721632, 721633, and 722870. The dumping investigation period runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, while the injury assessment period spans January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025.
