Chinese flat-rolled aluminium products in EU anti-dumping probe

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Friday began an investigation into whether China is dumping flat-rolled aluminium products in the 27-country European Union based on a complaint by a European group of producers.

The EU move followed another anti-dumping investigation launched in February into Chinese aluminium extrusions.

European Aluminium, which represents more than 25% of the total EU production of aluminium flat-rolled products, took its grievance to the bloc's executive in June, saying that imports of the product have increased overall in absolute terms and in terms of market share.

The Commission said there was sufficient evidence which showed that "due to significant distortions affecting prices and costs, the use of domestic prices and costs in the country concerned is inappropriate".

"The investigation will determine whether the product under investigation originating in the country concerned is being dumped and whether the dumped imports have caused injury to the Union industry," the EU executive said in its Official Journal.

The probe will cover the period July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 while the assessment of injury will cover trends starting from Jan. 1, 2017.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan)