The European Commission’s 13th annual report on trade defense actions taken by non-EU countries against EU exports shows there was an increase in the number of measures in force against EU in 2015 and that cases are becoming more complex. Against this difficult background, the Commission has achieved positive results and the best outcome for EU exporters. Some persistent problems remain.

The European Commission has adopted its 13th Annual Report on third country trade defense action taken against the European Union. The report sets out the general trends, achievements and problems faced in 2015. It also gives details of the more notable cases, including supporting statistics. The report is transmitted to the Council and the European Parliament.

Most of the trade defense measures against the EU in 2015 were in anti-dumping, although there were some safeguard measures too. The number of measures in force at the end of the year was 151, compared to 140 at the end of 2014. In 2015, 37 new measures were imposed against the EU, a comparable number to those put in place the previous year.

India, China, the U.S. and Brazil are the most prolific users of trade defense instruments against the EU, but several other countries have also been active. Steel was the sector most affected, with 19 new investigations in 2015, followed by the chemical sector with 7 new investigations. The year was also marked by an increased complexity of cases due to various factors such as the ongoing debate on global steel overcapacity and, in some countries, the economic context where TDI measures may be used for political reasons and be applied for protectionist purposes.

The European Union applies high standards in its own investigations and expects its trading partners to do the same. The European Commission actively monitors third country actions and intervenes in many cases in order to avoid the EU’s legitimate market access being restricted by unwarranted measures. Thanks to this and to cooperation with the EU industry and Member States, in 2015 the EU once again managed to avoid a number of unjustified measures and minimize their negative effects in different cases originating from various countries.