Reuters reported that European steel lobby Eurofer plans to file anti dumping cases this year with the European Commission against exports of cold rolled stainless sheet from China and Taiwan and of electrical steel sheet from Russia.

If the Commission, the European Union's executive, takes up the cases, they will join a series of damaging trade disputes over recent years between the 28 nation EU and China as well as some with Russia.

Mr Gordon Moffat DG of Eurofer said that "We have two cases in an advanced stage where we suspect dumping and subsidies. One concerns Russia, the other concerns China and Taiwan. They will be filed this year."

Mr Viktor Yevtukhov vice minister of industry and trade of Russia said that Moscow would stand behind its steel producers. We emphasized the need to abandon protectionist policies during the meetings with European colleagues. Taking into account the discriminatory approaches the Europeans use in their anti dumping investigations, both Russian business and the state doubt the fairness of such probes.

According to steel consultancy MEPS, the cold rolled stainless market in western Europe is estimated at about 4.6 million tonnes or EUR 11 billion annually. The European market for electrical steel sheet is much smaller by comparison.

NLMK, one of Russia's top steelmakers said that if the investigations start, NLMK will provide all the necessary information, which will confirm that the export of Russian electrical steel is not dumping.

The EU currently has duties on a number of steel products from China, including steel bolts and screws ranging between 22.9% and 74.1% and which China says have not been calculated in accordance with rules laid down by the World Trade Organisation.

The bloc has also deemed some Russian producers of fertilizers, ferro alloys, pipelines, other steel products and aluminium foil to be in breach of its anti dumping policies as they have access to cheap energy in Russia's domestic market.