The industry ceramics gets away with it, and gets the protection of Europa. It is not a promise, but a reality already published in the Official Gazette of the European Union. After an investigation initiated in December 2021, it has been decided to impose duty to combat unfair competition from tiles manufactured in Turkey and the India. Something that has been received satisfactorily by the ceramic sector of Castellon.
The deputy director general and senior manager of the Application of the Trade Policy of the EU, Denis Redonnet, visited Castellón to meet with the employers’ association Ascer and publicize this novelty. A meeting in which representatives of the group of frits and enamels (Anffecc) and the machinery for the sector (Asebec) also participated.
From now on, and for a period of five years, Indian products to the European Union will have a tariff of between 6.7% and 7% of their value, while Turkish production will range from 4.8% to 21%. The final percentage depends on the business group analyzed, and on unfair competition practices (dumping) detected.
Redonnet explained that with this decision “we fulfill our commitment to continue stand up to unfair practices so everyone can compete on a level playing field; something that will be beneficial for the economy of Castellón and the Valencian Community”
equality of rules
The president of Ascer, Vicente Nomdedeu was “satisfied” with the decision of the European Commission. “No one wants to put doors to the field, but if the others do not have the same rules, we will have to put barriers to the piece of field that is closest to us”, he said, referring to the countries of the European Union. He also recalled that the measure was promoted by Cerame Unie, the entity that groups the associations of ceramic manufacturers of the continent.
For the head of the employers’ association, the work of the EU allows solving the distortions produced in aspects such as environmental regulations, trade rules or labor protection.
Impact
Nomdedeu recalled that Europe concentrated most of the tile production on the planet, something that changed in favor of other countries. “In markets like America, Africa or the Middle East, our turnover has been reduced”, due to the push of countries like the two now sanctioned, “so we have to defend ourselves when the rules are not followed that we have.”
A fight that for the president of Ascer “has only just begun.” Until now, India barely has a 3.1% market share in the European Union, a figure that doubles to 6% in the case of Turkey. “Follow-up is important to prevent them from increasing their market,” he explained.
Faced with this decision, the regional secretary for the European Union and External Relations, Joan Calabuig, stated that from the Community “we are grateful for these trade defense measures, since they favor the competitiveness of Valencian companies in the European market and protect the ceramic sector in the field of international trade.
The protection of the tile within the community land itself is essential in the face of the changes caused by the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. This is a fundamental market for the industry in Castellón, which is not subject to these tariffs, which is why Indian and Turkish competition continues there.
Once the file has been resolved, work is now being done on another measure of this type, such as the extension of measures anti-dumping against China. Denis Redonnet mentioned that there are “structural distortions that have not been resolved. The procedure has been open since last November and it will be in February of next year when there will be a resolution. For Vicente Nomdedeu, “There is no need to relax in front of this country.”
For the representative of the European Commission, these actions allow “preserving the industrial base and the ceramic industry” of the continent, especially in sectors such as ceramics, “with good competitiveness and high quality”.
Obstacles from Algeria and the East
Related to the commercial relations of the ceramic cluster, Redonnet made reference to the blockade that Algeria imposes on Spanish products, among which are frits and glazes and machinery for the tile sector. He mentioned that this matter “is worrisome”, so they are “involved with the regional authorities to solve a complex problem that affects investment and trade.” He claimed that he is in “constant contact to deploy diplomatic efforts collectively” and mentioned the work of the person in charge of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, to find a solution.
In the same way, he alluded to the obstacles imposed by some countries in the Middle East to stop the arrival of Spanish ceramic products. “We have reviewed the path that needs to be traveled,” she explained, to resolve this anomaly.