HC Deb 24 July 1978 vol 954 cc472-3W
27. Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list the actions taken during the last four years to protect the special steel industry from unfair foreign competition.

Mr. Dell

A number of measures have been taken at national and Community level. The measures taken so far include:

  1. (i) An Anti-Dumping duty imposed (and still in force) on imports of stainless steel bars from Spain in October 1976.
  2. (ii) An investigation into the dumping of tool steel bars from Sweden (terminated with agreement of the United Kingdom industry in the light of market developments in June 1977).
  3. (iii) An investigation into the dumping of tool steel and high speed steel bars from Austria (terminated following the receipt of assurances satisfactory to the United Kingdom industry).
  4. (iv) Negotiation by the European Commission of agreements on price and volume with most of the major suppliers of steel to the Community (part of the package of measures designed to assist the steel industry announced in December 1977). These agreements cover a number of special steels as well as basic products.
  5. (v) The Community's base price scheme for steel imports. This includes some special steels in its coverage: it applies to countries with which the Community has not made voluntary restraint agreements.