Turkey set to open anti-dumping probes into US companies: Minister

DENİZLİ - Doğan News Agency

Turkey will open anti-dumping investigations into U.S. companies in the wake of new U.S. import tariffs on steel and aluminum in a retaliatory move, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci has said.

“However the U.S. looks at our products, we will look at their products in the same way. We will launch key processes within a few days,” Zeybekci said at a meeting in the Aegean province of Denizli on June 7.

He said large U.S. companies received major support from the government.

“We are working on the process of beginning anti-dumping investigations against these companies,” Zeybekci added.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed import tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent for aluminum in March.

In April, Zeybekci sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross seeking an exemption from the new tariffs, a Turkish official said at the time.

Turkey is the world’s eighth-largest steel producer and the sixth-largest exporter to the United States.

Ankara is also set to take measures against the United States over its decision to impose tariffs by June 21. In an application document to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on May 22, Turkey announced the items would be included on the country’s countermeasure list worth $266.5 million.

The countermeasures include additional duties on the imports of 22 U.S. items including coal, paper, walnuts/almonds, tobacco, unprocessed rice, whiskey, automobiles, cosmetics, machinery and equipment, and petrochemical products.