In 2011 the EU placed 85% tariffs on fastener imports from Malaysia for circumvention by transshipment of Chinese fasteners via Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

However, fastener imports continue to flow into Europe, prompting further action.

According to a recent email from European Industrial Fasteners Institute president Anders Karlsson, the EU is planning more action to enforce the tariffs.

“There will be more such (circumvention) cases with other countries in Asia in the next coming months,” Karlsson said in the email obtained by FIN.

Some members of the European Commission have gone so far as to question whether Taiwan is involved in EU tariff circumvention, a charge Taiwan Industrial Fasteners Institute Chairman Joe Chen denied.

In an email to the EIFI, Chen pointed out that the government of Taiwan recently restricted threaded fastener imports from China.

Also, the quantity of fasteners imported from China to Taiwan is a tiny portion of Taiwan’s fastener exports, and has remained steady in recent years — a trend counter to the transshipment charge leveled at Taiwan.

As Chen noted, Taiwan fastener producers would not risk their substantial trade with Europe to help China “cheat” duties.