"The goal is to provide a level playing field and conditions of fair competition for European companies," the commission said in a statement. 

"This action is yet another one taken by the EU to protect European jobs and industry from unfair trade practices and brings the total number of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures in place on steel products to 48."

The case arose on a May 2016 complaint from EUROFER, the European Steel Association, which charged that producers in the named countries were unfairly undercutting domestic prices. 

Along with Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine, Serbia also had been named in the initial compliant, but was dropped after the commission determined that imports from the country were negligible. 

As a result of the decision, imported coils will now be assessed a straight per-ton charge on steel exported into the EU. 

In a statement, EUROFER said the fixed rate is insufficient. 
 
"The imposition of ad valorem duties – a percentage on the import price – would have been the logical measure based on EU anti-dumping law," said EUROFER director general Axel Eggert. 

"What we have now is a significantly reduced level of protection from dumping," he said.  “These fixed amounts are well below what the normal and more effective ad valorem formula would deliver."

He also said Serbia should not have been excluded. 

"Inexplicably, Serbia remains excluded from any measures, despite being home to a large, state-owned, state-run Chinese steel producer."