The Colombian industry has amplified its complaints this year about dumping practices from China. The steel sector, for example, has pointed to unfair competition of between 35% and 40% in the sale of raw materials and now a new Colombian production sector has joined the complaints: aluminum extruders.
Alumina, Aluica and Alucol, three companies that are part of the metalworking sector,filed a complaint with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, MinCIT,for the adoption of anti-dumping duties on imports from the Asian country.
The investigation process of the portfolio has shown so far that there is a margin of this unfair practice that reaches 53.09%, when comparing the sales prices of aluminium in Turkey with the figures from China when exporting aluminium profiles to Colombia.
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Juan Marulanda, manager of Aluminios de Colombia, Alucol, one of the companies that promoted the action, He said that between August 24 and 25, the MinCIT will decide on a solution to the sector’s complaint.
Marulanda explained that 12 years ago, imports from China were 400 tons per month and today they are 2,000 tons. “China is the largest producer of primary aluminium in the world. All of our domestic customers now buy from that country. “We have therefore filed an anti-dumping application with the Ministry of Commerce against the Chinese companies,” he explained.
The dumping practice in that country generated a loss of between 40% and 50% of the company’s national sales.In Colombia, there are six producers, who base their production on aluminum scrap. “All extruders in Colombia recycle and there is a circular economy with which we work with scrap dealers,” he said. This puts the entire production chain of the sector at risk.
“We are asking for anti-dumping to level out prices in the markets. We have laid off people because sales are not enough to maintain employment levels,” said Marulanda.
