(464) The investigation revealed that the Union consumption of fasteners destined for the automotive sector between 2008 and the IP did not exceed [25-32 %] of the total Union production. This estimation was based on evidence provided by EIFI based on data on the total production volume of Light Vehicles (LV) and the fasteners used in the production of LV (including electric, hybrid and internal combustion vehicles) over a period from 2008 and the IP (85). The claim that the Union industry as a whole is predominantly producing for the automotive industry could therefore not be confirmed by the current investigation. To the contrary, the investigation has shown that Union producers were supplying to various industry sectors including those using standard fasteners. The downturn in the automotive sector therefore did not affect the entire Union industry in equal terms, and a large part of the Union production was not affected at all. In addition, the investigation has also shown that the decrease in production of LV did also not have automatically have a negative effect on the Union producers supplying the automotive industry. In particular, the information available has shown that the production of powertrains for fully electric cars is still relatively low while there has been a substantial growth in hybrid powertrains. The consumption of fasteners in hybrid vehicles is, however, higher than the consumption of fasteners in gasoline cars. Therefore, while part of the Union industry may have been negatively affected by the development in the automotive industry, this was not the case for large part of the Union industry that is not supplying the automotive industry and therefore, this could not attenuate the causal link between the dumped Chinese imports and the material injury suffered by the whole Union industry. The claims in this regard were therefore rejected.

(465) EFDA and one of the sampled importers claimed that the Union industry is importing standard fasteners from other third countries including China to establish themselves as traders of standard fasteners in the Union. They alleged that imports would be necessary to maintain their production capacities of the non-standard fasteners that are more lucrative than standard fasteners. In addition, one importer claimed that these imports are mainly from other third countries, in order to avoid anti-dumping duties in the future and therefore position themselves in a better competitive situation than traditional importers of fasteners whose suppliers are mostly in China.

(466) The investigation did not confirm these allegations. Imports of fasteners from China by the sampled Union producers represented less than 1 % of their total production of fasteners; and imports from other third countries less than 3 %. In addition, as mentioned in recital (458), imports from other third countries had price levels similar to those of the Union industry. Therefore, the Commission concluded that imports of fasteners from China or other third countries did not break the causal link between the material injury suffered by the Union industry and the dumped imports from China.