Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/297 of 9 February 2026 making imports of certain wires of silico-manganese steel (welding wire) originating in the People’s Republic of China subject to registration with a view to allowing the levy of anti-dumping duties on the imports subject to registration

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Union (1) (‘the basic Regulation’) and in particular Article 14(5) thereof,

After informing the Member States,

Whereas:

(1) On 11 December 2025, the European Commission (‘the Commission’) announced, by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union (2), the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding with regard to imports into the Union of certain wires of silico-manganese steel (‘welding wire’) originating in the People’s Republic of China.

(2) This initiation followed a complaint lodged on 29 October 2025 by ELBOR S.p.a. Elektroda Zagreb d.d., Electro Portugal Lda., Hermann Fliess & Co. GmbH, Italfil Spa, Multimet Sp. z o.o., S.I.A.T. Società Italiana Acciai Trafilati S.p.A., and Westfälische Drahtindustrie GmbH, representing more than 25 % of the total Union production of welding wire.

(3) The product subject to registration (‘the product concerned’) is wire of silico-manganese steel with a cross section with a diameter of 0,6 mm to 4 mm, containing by weight not more than 0,2 % of carbon, 0,6 % or more but not more than 1,4 % of silicon, and 0,9 % or more but not more than 1,9 % of manganese, but no other element in a proportion that would give the steel the characteristics of another alloy steel, whether coated with copper or bronze or wax/oil based lubricant or not, currently classified under CN code ex 7229 20 00 (TARIC code 7229 20 00 10), originating in the People’s Republic of China.

(4) Under Article 14(5) of the basic Regulation, imports of the product concerned may be made subject to registration.

(5) The purpose of registration is to ensure that anti-dumping duties, if any, can be levied retroactively on the imports subject to registration in accordance with the applicable legal provisions, if the necessary conditions are met.

(6) The Commission has decided to make imports of the product concerned subject to registration on its own initiative under Article 14(5) of the basic Regulation. The conditions for retroactive collection of duties will be assessed in the regulation imposing definitive duties if any.

(7) Any future liability would emanate from the findings of the investigation.

(8) The calculations provided in the complaint requesting the initiation of the anti-dumping investigation estimate dumping margins between 38 % and 52 % and injury elimination level between 45 % and 105 % for the product concerned for the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. The amount of possible future liability would normally be set at the lower of the dumping or injury level according to Article 7(2) of the basic Regulation.

(9) If, during the investigation, the Commission finds evidence of raw material distortions pursuant to Article 7(2a) of the basic Regulation, the amount of possible future liability would be set at the level of the dumping margin as provided for in Article 7(2b) of the basic Regulation if it is concluded that a duty lower than the margin of dumping would not be sufficient to remove the injury suffered by the Union industry.

(10) However, at this stage the Commission is not in a position to estimate the amount of possible future liability. Thus, the amounts mentioned in the complaint are only for information purposes and cannot create any expectations as to the actual level of liability which will be established as a result of the investigation.

(11) Any personal data collected in the context of this registration will be treated in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 9 February 2026.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 176, 30.6.2016, p. 21, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/1036/oj.

(2) OJ C, C/2025/6555, 11.12.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/6555/oj.

(3) Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).