(88) During the review investigation period, imports of the product under review from the PRC continued, albeit at much lower levels than in the investigation period of the original investigation (i.e. from July 2006 to June 2007). According to Comext (Eurostat) statistics, imports of WPT from the PRC accounted for about 0,1 % of the Union market in the review investigation period, compared to a market share of 13,8 % during the original investigation. A similarly low level of market share (0,03 %) was noted during the previous expiry review. In absolute terms, imports from the PRC dropped drastically from almost 184 887 tonnes during the original investigation to 118 tonnes in the previous expiry review and 559 tonnes in the current expiry review.

(89) As mentioned in recital (22), none of the exporters/producers from the PRC cooperated in the investigation. Thus, the exporting producers failed to submit questionnaire replies, including any data on export prices and costs, domestic prices and costs, consumption of inputs in the production process, manufacturing overheads, capacity, production, investments, etc. Likewise, the GOC and the exporting producers failed to address the evidence on the case file, including the ‘Commission Staff Working Document on Significant Distortions in the Economy of the People’s Republic of China for the Purposes of Trade Defense Investigations’ (13) (‘the Report’).

(90) Therefore, the Commission informed the authorities of the PRC that due to the absence of cooperation, the Commission might apply Article 18 of the basic Regulation concerning the findings with regard to the PRC. The Commission did not receive any comments.

(91) Consequently, in accordance with Article 18(1) of the basic Regulation, the findings in relation to the likelihood of continuation or recurrence of dumping with regard to the PRC were based on facts available, in particular the information contained in the request for the expiry review and in the submissions by the interested parties, combined with other sources of information, such as trade statistics on imports and exports (Eurostat and GTA), statistical data from the Chinese tax and custom administration websites (14), reports of the World Bank and OECD, and independent providers of pricing intelligence, news, data, analysis and conferences for the iron and steel industry such as Deloitte (15), Transcustoms (16), Global Trade Alert (17) and Huajing Industry Research Institute (18).

(92) Given the sufficient evidence available at the initiation of the investigation tending to show, with regard to the PRC, the existence of significant distortions within the meaning of point (b) of Article 2(6a) of the basic Regulation, the Commission initiated the investigation with regard to this country on the basis of Article 2(6a) of the basic Regulation.