HC Deb 10 July 1979 vol 970 cc164-6W
Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he is satisfied with the powers available to him to prevent the dumping of steel from other EEC countries on the United Kingdom market.

Mr. Parkinson

The concept of antidumping action between member States is not compatible with the fundamental principle of free circulation of goods in a unified market. However, under article 60 of the Treaty of Paris—ECSC—it is possible to deal with unfair competitive practices and discriminatory practices. If the hon. Member has evidence of breaches of this article I am ready to consider an approach to the Commission.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will list in the Official Report the total volume of imports of tool steels, high speed steels, and stainless steel bars, during the first five months of the current year showing the principal countries of origin, and giving the comparable figures for 1978 and 1977.

Mr. Parkinson,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 2 July 1979; Vol. 969, c. 428], gave the following answer:

The following tables show identifiable imports of these special steels in total for January-May 1979, analysed by country of consignment for January-

I. BARS AND RODS—EXCLUDING WIRE ROD—OF STAINLESS OR HEAT-RESISTING STEEL
Tonnes
January-May 1977 January-May 1978 January-May 1979
TOTAL … … … … 5,594 5,918 4,677
January-March 1977 January-March 1978 January-March 1979
TOTAL … … … … 3,196 3,656 2,531
of which consigned from:
Italy … … … … 426 1,030 573
France … … … 238 370 521
Federal Republic of Germany 791 757 511
Spain … … … … 866 622 309
Austria … … … 120 231 177
Brazil … … … … — 19 159
Sweden … … … 78 86 111
United States of America … 43 113 53
Japan … … … … 470 196 44
Norway … … … 114 98 —
Czechoslovakia … … — 83 —
Other countries … … 50 51 73
II. BARS AND RODS—INCLUDING WIRE ROD—OF HIGH-SPEED STEEL
Tonnes
January-May 1977 January-May 1978 January-May 1979
TOTAL … … … … 1,958 1,947 2,048
January-March 1977 January-March 1978 January-March 1979
TOTAL … … … … 1,168 1,168 1,100
of which consigned from:
Sweden … … … 674 701 579
Federal Republic of Germany 126 92 191
France … … … 184 151 177
Austria … … … 121 180 95
Czechoslovakia … … 8 9 32
Japan … … … … — 11 11
Netherlands … … … 37 21 1
Other countries … … 18 4 14
III. BARS AND RODS OF OTHER ALLOY STEEL—INCLUDING TOOL, DIE AND MAGNET STEEL [EXCLUDES HIGH-SPEED, FREE-CUTTING, MANGANO-SILICON AND CLAD OR SURFACE-WORKED STEEL]
Tonnes
January-May 1977 January-May 1978 January-May 1979
TOTAL … … … … 15,387 15,420 18,727
January-March 1977 January-March 1978 January-March 1979
TOTAL … … … … 8,995 9,659 10,096
of which consigned from:
France … … … 3,118 3,030 3,720
Federal Republic of Germany 601 2,157 2,107
Italy … … … … 965 515 1,283
Netherlands … … … 127 536 824
Finland … … … 1,368 1,403 724
Sweden … … … 1,118 734 609
Austria … … … 759 253 207
Spain … … … … 297 309 187
Japan … … … … 558 222 171
United States of America … 34 189 141
Irish Republic … … 31 32 47
Switzerland … … … — 84 43
Belgium-Luxembourg … 4 40 19
Other countries … … 16 155 14
Notes:
(a) Tool steel is not separately distinguished in " Overseas Trade Statistics " but—with the exception of carbon tool steel—is included with figures for other alloy steel.
(b) Owing to changes in the detailed classification of the trade statistics, the figures for 1978 and 1979 are not strictly comparable with those for 1977, but the discrepancy is believed to be small.
(c) Comparable information by country of origin is not available for the period January-March 1979.

March 1979—the latest period for which detailed information by country is available—and for the same periods in 1977 and 1978.