IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jincot/v24y2024i1d10.1007_s10842-024-00433-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Protectionism in Disguise? EU Anti-Dumping Measures Targeting PRC Iron and Steel Products

Author

Listed:
  • Lukas J. Hornung

    (Helmut-Schmidt-University)

  • Nico Stöckmann

    (Helmut-Schmidt-University)

Abstract

As dumping can harm industries by distorting competition, the World Trade Organization holds the option for its members to take anti-dumping measures. The European Union (EU) responds collectively to such threats and adjusts the supposedly dumped goods’ prices through tariffs back to their apparent “fair” value. Some critics argue though that the EU’s anti-dumping measures reduce economic efficiency and are actually protectionism in disguise. Our analysis of EU anti-dumping measures on Chinese iron and steel products points out that the “fair” value is indeed fair. Using the augmented synthetic control method, we show that the total EU import volume in the sanctioned product class remains constant, the import volume from China after introducing the tariff is significantly reduced, and the increase in total world import price is insignificant. Results thus suggest that supply from China is substituted through imports of countries outside the single market and that claims of protectionism are largely unfounded

Suggested Citation

  • Lukas J. Hornung & Nico Stöckmann, 2024. "Protectionism in Disguise? EU Anti-Dumping Measures Targeting PRC Iron and Steel Products," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 1-31, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:24:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10842-024-00433-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10842-024-00433-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10842-024-00433-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10842-024-00433-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bown, Chad P. & Crowley, Meredith A., 2006. "Policy externalities: How US antidumping affects Japanese exports to the EU," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 696-714, September.
    2. Eli Ben-Michael & Avi Feller & Jesse Rothstein, 2021. "The Augmented Synthetic Control Method," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 116(536), pages 1789-1803, October.
    3. Mario Larch & Yoto V. Yotov, 2016. "General Equilibrium Trade Policy Analysis with Structural Gravity," CESifo Working Paper Series 6020, CESifo.
    4. Jabbour, Liza & Tao, Zhigang & Vanino, Enrico & Zhang, Yan, 2019. "The good, the bad and the ugly: Chinese imports, European Union anti-dumping measures and firm performance," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 1-20.
    5. Susan Athey & Mohsen Bayati & Nikolay Doudchenko & Guido Imbens & Khashayar Khosravi, 2021. "Matrix Completion Methods for Causal Panel Data Models," Journal of the American Statistical Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 116(536), pages 1716-1730, October.
    6. Peter Egger & Douglas Nelson, 2011. "How Bad Is Antidumping? Evidence from Panel Data," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(4), pages 1374-1390, November.
    7. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2023. "Simple approaches to nonlinear difference-in-differences with panel data," The Econometrics Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 26(3), pages 31-66.
    8. Vandenbussche, Hylke & Zanardi, Maurizio, 2010. "The chilling trade effects of antidumping proliferation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(6), pages 760-777, August.
    9. Benjamin Born & Gernot J Müller & Moritz Schularick & Petr Sedláček, 2019. "The Costs of Economic Nationalism: Evidence from the Brexit Experiment," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(623), pages 2722-2744.
    10. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    11. Sandkamp, Alexander, 2020. "The trade effects of antidumping duties: Evidence from the 2004 EU enlargement," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    12. Cheng, Lu & Mi, Zhifu & Coffman, D'Maris & Meng, Jing & Chang, Dongfeng, 2021. "Destruction and Deflection: Evidence from American Antidumping Actions against China," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 203-213.
    13. Arne J. Nagengast & Yoto V. Yotov, 2025. "Staggered Difference-in-Differences in Gravity Settings: Revisiting the Effects of Trade Agreements," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 17(1), pages 271-296, January.
    14. Jørgen Hansen & Jørgen Nielsen, 2009. "Dumping and Injury Margins in Markets with Horizontal as well as Vertical Product Differentiation," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 233-250, September.
    15. repec:oup:econjl:v:129:y:2019:i:10:p:2722-2744. is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Gabriel, Ricardo Duque & Pessoa, Ana Sofia, 2024. "Adopting the euro: A synthetic control approach," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    17. Mustapha Jallab & James Kobak, 2006. "Antidumping as Anticompetitive Practice Evidence from the United States and the European Union," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 253-275, December.
    18. Jacob Viner, 1922. "The Prevalence of Dumping in International Trade: II," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(6), pages 796-796.
    19. Hui Zou & Trevor Hastie, 2005. "Addendum: Regularization and variable selection via the elastic net," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 67(5), pages 768-768, November.
    20. Jungseok Choi & Woohyoung Kim & Seokkyu Choi, 2022. "The Economic Effect of the Steel Industry on Sustainable Growth in China—A Focus on Input–Output Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-12, March.
    21. Hui Zou & Trevor Hastie, 2005. "Regularization and variable selection via the elastic net," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 67(2), pages 301-320, April.
    22. Jacob Viner, 1922. "The Prevalence of Dumping in International Trade: I," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(5), pages 655-655.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Michael Funke & Kadri Männasoo & Helery Tasane, 2023. "Regional Economic Impacts of the Øresund Cross-Border Fixed Link: Cui Bono?," CESifo Working Paper Series 10557, CESifo.
    2. Gustavo de Souza & Haishi Li, 2025. "The Employment Consequences of Anti-Dumping Tariffs: Lessons from Brazil," CESifo Working Paper Series 11654, CESifo.
    3. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Sandkamp, Alexander, 2020. "The trade effects of anti-dumping duties: Firm-level evidence from China," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    4. Magdalene Silberberger & Anja Slany & Christian Soegaard & Frederik Stender, 2022. "The Aftermath of Anti-Dumping: Are Temporary Trade Barriers Really Temporary?," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 677-704, September.
    5. Alexander Sandkamp & Erdal Yalcin, 2021. "Different antidumping legislations within the WTO: What can we learn from China's varying market economy status?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1121-1147, November.
    6. Shuying Wang & Yew‐Kwang Ng, 2024. "How antidumping measures affect US imports from China: A mesoeconomic perspective of the excess price changes," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 127-156, February.
    7. Haas, Levi & Schenk-Hoppé, Klaus R., 2019. "International Trade: Smarten up to talk the talk," MPRA Paper 99096, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Eli Ben‐Michael & Avi Feller & Jesse Rothstein, 2022. "Synthetic controls with staggered adoption," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series B, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 84(2), pages 351-381, April.
    9. Lu, Yi & Tao, Zhigang & Zhang, Yan, 2013. "How do exporters respond to antidumping investigations?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 290-300.
    10. Sandkamp, Alexander, 2020. "The trade effects of antidumping duties: Evidence from the 2004 EU enlargement," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    11. Dmitry Arkhangelsky & Guido Imbens, 2023. "Causal Models for Longitudinal and Panel Data: A Survey," Papers 2311.15458, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2024.
    12. Meng, Ning & Milner, Chris & Song, Huasheng, 2020. "Antidumping and heterogeneous quality adjustment of multi-product firms: Evidence from Chinese exporters," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 147-161.
    13. Gabriel Felbermayr & Hendrik Mahlkow & Alexander Sandkamp, 2023. "Cutting through the value chain: the long-run effects of decoupling the East from the West," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 50(1), pages 75-108, February.
    14. Shan Huang & Chen Wang & Yuan Yuan & Jinglong Zhao & Brocco & Zhang, 2023. "Estimating Effects of Long-Term Treatments," Papers 2308.08152, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2024.
    15. Yoto V. Yotov, 2024. "The evolution of structural gravity: The workhorse model of trade," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 42(4), pages 578-603, October.
    16. Ning Meng & Yining Ni & Yeqing Ma, 2024. "The ripple effect: How trade policy shocks impact innovation of Chinese firms," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 1868-1900, September.
    17. Callaway, Brantly & Karami, Sonia, 2023. "Treatment effects in interactive fixed effects models with a small number of time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 233(1), pages 184-208.
    18. Guido Imbens & Nathan Kallus & Xiaojie Mao, 2021. "Controlling for Unmeasured Confounding in Panel Data Using Minimal Bridge Functions: From Two-Way Fixed Effects to Factor Models," Papers 2108.03849, arXiv.org.
    19. Nicolaj N. Mühlbach, 2020. "Tree-based Synthetic Control Methods: Consequences of moving the US Embassy," CREATES Research Papers 2020-04, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    20. Arne Henningsen & Guy Low & David Wuepper & Tobias Dalhaus & Hugo Storm & Dagim Belay & Stefan Hirsch, 2024. "Estimating Causal Effects with Observational Data: Guidelines for Agricultural and Applied Economists," IFRO Working Paper 2024/03, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Anti-dumping; Synthetic control method; European Union; Protectionism; Steel;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:24:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1007_s10842-024-00433-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.