The European Commission has concluded its investigation of circumvention of anti-dumping duties for imports of birch plywood from Russia. Due to its findings, the Commission extends the 15,8 % anti-dumping duties to imports from Türkiye and Kazakhstan. Importers are estimated to face 10 million EUR retroactive duty payments.
The European Commission has concluded its investigation regarding circumvention of anti-dumping duties for imports of birch plywood from Russia. The anti-dumping duty regulation was originally established in November 2021 to counter unfair trading practices.
Based on its findings, the Commission concluded that the anti-dumping measures imposed on imports of plywood originating in Russia are being systematically circumvented by imports of the product through third-party countries, Kazakhstan, and Türkiye. Neither country was previously known as a significant exporter of this type of plywood.
The details of the study and the findings were published in the EU official Journal on 14 May 2024.
The Commission’s findings, which resulted in the extension of the anti-dumping duties mark a critical step in the crack down on multiple unlawful practices.
First it means that tariffs will be collected by national customs authorities retroactively, with an estimated 10 million EUR immediately payable by importers.
Furthermore, the findings will have triggered collaborative enforcement initiatives involving national authorities and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to shine a spotlight on potential customs fraud, non-compliance with the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), and wholesale evasion of sanctions. Implicated operators, including importers, traders, and some end-users in the EU may face additional penalties because of these additional investigations and checks. Serious consequences and liabilities, enforceable under distinct legal frameworks – including criminal statutes in multiple EU countries, are set to apply to those engaged in such activities.
The Commission’s findings resulted in the extension of anti-dumping duties to ALL birch plywood imports from the two countries. The swift imposition of these measures sends a strong signal that the EU is united not only in upholding fair trade, but also in preventing illegal circumvention on now sanctioned conflict timber.