China, Brazil should work together on steel overcapacity: MOC

China, Brazil should work together on steel overcapacity: MOC

Source: www.chinamining.org         Citation: Xinhua      Date: November 23, 2016

China and Brazil should work together to address steel sector overcapacity, as protectionism only compounds the situation, China`s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday, after Brazil launched probes into Chinese steel products.  

"The Chinese government has always held that trade remedies should be used in a cautious and restrained manner, and encouraged its businesses to solve trade frictions through trade, investment and technological cooperation with their foreign counterparts," said Wang Hejun, head of the MOC trade remedy and investigation bureau.  

Protectionism will do no good in overcoming difficulties in the global economy and steel sector. On the contrary, it will hinder normal trade, Wang said.  

The two emerging economies are closely-related in the steel sector as Brazil boasts vast iron ore deposits, and China is the largest steel producer in the world.  

Wang`s remarks came after Brazil announced Monday its first anti-subsidy investigations into hot rolled steel plate from China. Chinese steel products saw 14 anti-dumping probes from the Brazilian government in the past five years, with most cases ending in restrictive measures.  

But Chinese steel accounts for less than two percent of the Brazilian market, according to Wang.  

Plagued by excess production, the global steel sector has seen more trade disputes in recent years, with Chinese companies suffering the most.  

China is calling for unity in tackling severe overcapacity, and has achieved remarkable progress in downsizing its domestic steel industry.  

The country has reduced more than 90 million tons of excess capacity during the past five years, and the government plans to slash more by 2020.

About CHINA MINING

Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.

CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2017 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin China in September23-25, 2017. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 19th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us.  For more information about CHINA MINING 2017, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.