Yes to Fair Trade! No to Market Economy Status for China REPORT

AEGIS Europe/EUROFER march: a historic call to the EU on dumping and Market Economy Status On 15 February 2015, AEGIS Europe, with the support of the European Steel Association (EUROFER), organised a Say Yes to Jobs & Fair Trade! Say No to MES for China! march around the European quarter of Brussels. This march was attended by over 5250 people from at least 18 EU member states. A large portion of the attendees were from the steel sector, there to show the impact of dumping on the industry. Over 15 industry leaders from Europe’s steel industry attended the march, and several Members of the European Parliament also took the occasion to join the demonstrators. The march was held to reinforce calls to put a swift end to dumping, to modernise Trade Defence Instruments, and to prevent Market Economy Status being granted to China prematurely. Speaking* during the march, EUROFER’s President, Mr Geert Van Poelvoorde said, “Today is an important day for the steel industry. With our presence we show the concern we have over the flood of Chinese imported steel into the European Union. We ask the European Union to: Accelerate the anti-dumping procedure, Modernise anti-dumping tools to make more effective duties possible, as it is the case in other countries, Not grant MES to China prematurely. If this were to happen, China would effectively receive a license to dump.” Mr Van Poelvoorde emphasised, “We trust that European leaders will hear our call and understand our concerns, and react accordingly.” Marchers were greeted by Vice President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, and Commission President Jean Claude Juncker later welcomed a delegation from the March. Both received a manifesto from AEGIS Europe and EUROFER representatives. The march proceeded peacefully and garnered global media attention. Photos of the march Photos of the march are available: here. Press release A press release issued by EUROFER ahead of the march is available: http://www.eurofer.eu/News%26Media/Press%20releases/Historic%20protest%20against%20MES%20China.fhtml Manifesto The Say Yes to Jobs & Fair Trade! Say No to MES for China! manifesto, created for the march, is available: https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/stopdumping-stopchinames/manifesto/?& [*Check against delivery]