Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make an (a) assessment of the extent of the avoidance of duties on Chinese steel via its importation into the EU through (i) Russia, (ii) Vietnam and (iii) other countries and (b) estimate of the potential cost of such avoidance to the UK steel industry.

Whilst the UK is part of the European Union, trade defence is an EU competence. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade would encourage industry to present any prima facie evidence of circumvention of anti-dumping or anti-subsidy measures to the European Commission. Where evidence is sufficient to justify an investigation the Commission will do so and present any proposals for imposing or extending duties to Member States.