As found “Kommersant”, despite the sharp rise of prices on railway wheels in the last two years, JSC RZD and the transport Ministry to support anti-dumping duties on the wheels of the Ukrainian Interpipe, which can be renewed on 1 June. The operators of the cars are asked not to return to duty, noting that the price of the wheels remains high. Participants of the market consider that even duty will not allow to squeeze out “Interpipe” from the Russian market. Experts expect reduction of prices, predicting that the surplus of the wheel will exceed 20% this year.On may 22, scheduled a meeting with the Minister of trade of EEC Andrey Slepnev on the future development of the market of production and consumption of steel solid-rolled railway wheels (PCP) in 2020-2021 years. The main issue is to resume if suspended before June 1 of the anti-dumping duty 34.22% wheel-Ukrainian Interpipe.The fee was increased from 4.75% to 34.22% in April of 2018 for the treatment of the Russian manufacturers of wheels, the Vyksa metallurgical plant (VMZ, part of OMK Anatoly Sedykh) and Nizhny Tagil metallurgical plant (NTMK) Evraz Roman Abramovich and partners (see “Kommersant” on 22 January 2018). In July 2019, on the background of acute shortage of wheels, the EEC has suspended the effect of this duty. According to Kommersant, Evraz in April wrote a letter to the Ministry of transport with a statement of need for the resumption of duties at the CCC. In Evraz and NLMK declined to comment.Supports the renewal fee and the Railways. According to the letter of the first Deputy of the General Director of monopoly Vadim Mikhailov on April 23 (there is a “b”), in 2020 the market situation CCC has changed. The production capacity of manufacturers of 2.37 million shares, including OMK — 950 thousand, Evraz — 525 thousand pieces, Interpipe is 500 pieces and Kazakhstan “Prommashkomplekt” — 200 thousand, not counting the 200 thousand units imported from China. “In 2020, the projected surplus of production over 800 thousand pieces CCC”,— said in the letter. It is noted that the resumption of duties should be maintained “in order to promote competition by increasing the volume of supply of domestic producers and to establish a just price level at public auction”. At the same time last year, Russian Railways jointly with the operators asked FAS to understand with unreasonable overestimate of the prices for wheels (see “Kommersant” on June 20, 2019). The Russian Railways declined to comment. Transport Ministry told “Kommersant” that support the resumption of duties.Against the resumption of duties were the Union of operators of railway transport (SORT). In a letter to first Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, the head of FAS Igor Artemyev and the head of Ministry of Economics Maxim Reshetnikov dated may 20, States that in 2015 the price of the CCC has increased more than four times, reaching in 2019 90-100 thousand rubles. apiece. The situation, says SORT caused by rising demand�� on the CCC when there is insufficient capacity in the countries of the EAEC and the presence of two major manufacturers VMZ and “Evraz NTMK”, with a market share of 56% and 28% respectively. Even now, the prices of CTC exceeds the level of 2015 is almost three times (65 thousand rubles), and the decision on resumption of duty “will only lead to the maintenance of high prices for the CCC and even further growth.”The volume of deliveries of “Interpipe” in the Russian market and CIS countries amounted to 280 thousand wheels in 2019, the introduction of fees will reduce this volume by half, says the interlocutor of Kommersant in the industry. “Ukrainian wheels are sold at the same extremely high prices, like Russian,— says another source “b” among the buyers of wheels. The introduction of anti-dumping duties in the absence of dumping will only lead to additional increase in the cost of the wheels and the two super-profits of Russian producers, who are lobbying for this decision.” Another market participant says that prices will fall because of lower demand, the collapse of interest rates operating cars and reduce freight traffic on the network that directly impact on the amount of repairs. But, he says, duty is unlikely to completely squeeze “Interpipe” with the Russian market due to low cost of production of CTC. In the “Interpipe”, “b” is not answered.The Deputy Director of the Institute of natural monopolies Vladimir Savchuk notes that, according to estimates of Institute of natural monopolies, the surplus of supply on the Russian market of CTC will be more than 20% in 2020 and 30% in 2021. These calculations, he explains, include Russian producers, “Prommashkomplekt” import from China and “Interpipe”, which, he estimates, will not stop the supply of wheels to the Russian market even with the resumption of anti-dumping measures, as it was in 2018-2019. The wholesale price of CKK at the same time will decrease, the expert believes, however, size reduction while it is difficult to predict.Natalia Skorlygina
