Europe investigates Chinese fibre imports
According to Reuters, the European Commission has just opened an investigation into cable imports from China to the Old Continent. The aim is to check the business practices of Chinese manufacturers, which their European counterparts accuse of selling at too low a price.
Following a complaint filed on 10th August by Europacable, the European cable manufacturers' lobby, an anti-dumping investigation has been launched. If the European Commission agrees with the complainants, it could lead to the imposition of customs barriers within 15 months.
Europacable believes that the conditions for marketing in Europe single-mode fibre made in China are unfair because of the artificially low tariffs applied. In its complaint, the cable manufacturers' organisation also asked to see this trend increase against the backdrop of the imposition of customs barriers on these Chinese products in the United States. This would risk redirecting to Europe the volumes not sold across the Atlantic.
An initiative echoing the alarm signal sounded a year ago by the union of French manufacturers in the sector. Quarter after quarter, Sycabel highlights the sharp drop in fibre optic orders for the French telecoms sector and the concomitant rise in Asian imports.
In its last quarterly report, the organisation recalled the difficulties that this situation was causing for a "French sector of excellence", while "massive investments have been made to support the deployment of the France THD plan".
Source : DegroupTest