Turkey announced on Oct. 11 that it would impose anti-dumping duties on some steel imports from China, Russia, India, and Japan, with the highest tax rate on imports from China.
The duties range from 6.1 percent to 43.31 percent of cost, insurance, and freight prices, according to the announcement in Turkey’s Official Gazette.
The duties, which aim to prevent unfair competition from foreign countries, follow the filing of complaints by domestic producers. An investigation into hot rolled steel imports showed that the dumping of steel products from China, Russia, India, and Japan pose a threat to Turkey’s domestic production, according to the announcement.
The duties on steel imports from China range from 15 percent to 43 percent, while the tariffs on imports from Russia, India, and Japan range from 6 percent to 9 percent.
Veysel Yayan, secretary-general of the Turkish Steel Producers Association, said the tariffs would affect about 4 million tons of imported products worth more than $2 billion.
In response to the decision, shares in Turkish steelmaker Erdemir rose by 2.48 percent, while Isdemir rose by 2.2 percent. Turkey’s decision was made as trade tensions between China and European Union (EU) have escalated over tariffs on electric vehicles, brandy, cheese, and other goods.
Previously, China filed a complaint against Turkey over its imposition of higher tariffs on imports of electric vehicles from China.
Although it is a NATO member, Turkey is not an EU member. However, the EU is its most important trade partner.
Turkey’s decision to impose the anti-dumping duties shows a subtle shift in Turkey’s international relations, Sun Kuo-hsiang, professor of international affairs and business at Nanhua University in Taiwan, told The Epoch Times.
“Although Turkey and Russia have close relations in energy supply and geopolitics, this move reflects Turkey paying more attention to protect its own economy and moving toward the West in order to gain more support in the global economy, especially when facing domestic economic pressure,” Sun said.
Ding Shuh-fan, professor emeritus of the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, said Turkey’s economic situation is “not good.”
“Importing large amounts of steel products has a big impact on domestic employment,” he said.
“Imposing tariffs doesn’t mean that Turkey will move closer to the West in international relations.”
Ding said that China probably won’t retaliate against Turkey over the new tariff “because Turkey hasn’t responded to China’s persecution of the Uyghurs, which is China’s biggest concern.”
Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim ethnic group in China, share cultural and linguistic roots with Turkey.
Chen Shih-min, associate professor of political science at National Taiwan University, told The Epoch Times that Turkey’s stance in international relations is ambiguous.
“Turkey is a NATO ally. Of course, it needs to maintain military and security relations with NATO,” Chen said. “However, President Erdogan is a so-called ‘strongman’ president. He appeals to the ‘Great Turkey’ nationalist sentiment to restore the old Ottoman Empire. So, he is seeking a relatively independent foreign policy. Turkey actually has a good relationship with Russia. It will look for a policy space to show its independence, and to pursue Turkey’s important position in the world.”
Luo Ya and Reuters contributed to this report.