Brazil on the lookout for dumping by exporters

Indian exporters to Brazil, beware. The Brazilian trade authority DECOM is policing exporters that may be dumping products in the country. Webber Wentzel’s international trade law team recently assisted in the successful defence of a South African stainless steel producer, Columbus Stainless, against an anti-dumping application in Brazil.

Columbus is Africa’s only producer of stainless steel flat products. It exports some of its products to international markets, including Brazil.

Earlier this year DECOM initiated an anti-dumping investigation into whether Columbus, along with exporters from China, Finland, Germany, Korea, Taiwan, the US and Vietnam, had been dumping stainless steel products in the Brazilian market (i.e. exporting the products at lower prices than they would normally charge in their domestic markets). The investigation was initiated in April, after Brazilian producers of competing stainless steel products launched an application which complained that imports were reducing their market share and thereby causing them harm.

Meluleki Nzimande is a partner at Webber Wentzel, where Robyn Muller is a candidate attorney. Webber Wentzel is one of the leading corporate law firms in Africa and the South African member of ALN, a group of Africa’s 12 foremost law firms.