Dear President,

On July 15th, 2011, WTO’s appellate body issued a ruling report with respect to the case China appealed EU’s antidumping measures against China’s fasteners that the  "single tariff" in article 9(5) of EU Council Regulation 384/96 of 1995  (known as the Basic AD Regulation) was in violation of the WTO's rules. Meanwhile, appellate body overturned some rulings by expert panel in support of China’s position and ruled that EU’s antidumping measures against China’s fasteners of screws, nuts, bolts, etc. was also in violation of WTO’s rules in comparison of domestic industry identification, normal value, and export price. 

China Fastener Association, on behalf of Chinese fastener enterprises, shows welcome and support to the ruling made by WTO’s appellate body and strongly requires the EU withdraw the discriminatory antidumping measures against Chinese fasteners.

Chinese fastener industry has been sustaining losses in recent two years due to EU’s unfair treatment to Chinese export enterprises, which heavily affect the normal trade between Europe and China and cause irretrievable losses to the EU’s market. None of the above results will the manufacturers and distributors in both Europe and China expect to see.

EU is the major market for Chinese fasteners; it would be beneficial for both parties to correctly treat trade friction and defend fair trade. The abuse of protective measures in trade cannot help in solving any problems. That the increasing mutual understanding, impartial treatment to Chinese fastener enterprises, the guarantee of free trade and fair competition through dialogue and communication will be propitious to develop long-term benefit for the European and Chinese fastener industry.

We hope the dialogue and communication of fastener industry between Europe and China will be strengthened in the future to deepen mutual understanding and keep commercial partnership in the healthy, mutual benefited and cooperative win-win track.

Best regards
China Fastener Association
July 18th, 2011