19.9.2012 [ EN_| Official Journal of the European Union L 252/33 COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 845/2012 of 18 September 2012 imposing a provisional anti-dumping duty on imports of certain organic coated steel products originating in the People’s Republic of China THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1225/2009 of 30 November 2009 on protection against dumped imports from countries not members of the European Community (') (‘the basic Regulation’), and in particular Article 7 thereof, After consulting the Advisory Committee, Whereas: 0] 0] A. PROCEDURE 1. Initiation On 21 December 2011, the Commission announced, by a notice published in the Official Journal of the European Union (3) (‘the notice of initiation'), the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding with regard to imports into the Union of certain organic coated steel products orig- inating in the People’s Republic of China (the country concerned' or 'the PRC)). The proceeding was initiated following a complaint lodged on 7 November 2011 by Eurofer (the complain- ant), representing a major proportion, in this case more than 70 %, of the total Union production of certain organic coated steel products. The complaint contained prima facie evidence of dumping of the said product and of material injury resulting therefrom, which was considered sufficient to justify the opening of a proceeding. 2. Parties concerned by the proceeding The Commission officially advised the complainants, other known Union producers, the known exporting producers in the PRC, importers, traders, users, suppliers and associations known to be concerned, and the representatives of the PRC of the initiation of the proceeding. The Commission also advised producers in Canada and the Republic of South Africa (‘South Africa’) which were envisaged in the notice of initiation as possible analogue countries. Interested parties were given the opportunity to make their views known in writing and to request a hearing within the time limit set in the notice of initiation. In view of the apparent high number of exporting producers, Union producers and unrelated importers, L 373, 22.12.2009, p. 51. C 373, 21.12.2011, p. 16. sampling was envisaged in the notice of initiation in accordance with Article 17 of the basic Regulation. In order to enable the Commission to decide whether sampling would be necessary and if so, to select samples, all known exporting producers and unrelated importers were asked to make themselves known to the Commission and to provide, as specified in the notice of initiation, basic information on their activities related to the product concerned during the period from 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011. As regards the Union producers, the Commission announced in the notice of initiation that it had provisionally selected a sample of Union producers. This sample consisted of six Union producers that were known to the Commission to produce the like product selected on the basis of sales, production volume, size and geographical location in the Union. The sampled Union producers accounted for 46 % of the Union production and 38 % of the Union sales. Interested parties were also invited in the notice of initiation to make their views known on the provisional sample. One of the Union producers stated that it did not wish to be included in the sample and was replaced in the sample by the next largest producer. 26 exporting producers or groups of exporting producers in the PRC provided the requested information and agreed to be included in the sample. On the basis of the information received from the exporting producers, the Commission initially selected a sample of three exporting producers with the highest export volume to the Union. However, one of the sampled exporting producers did not provide accurate export data and was excluded from the sample. Two other exporting producers that were subsequently included in the sample, withdrew their cooperation. Therefore, the Commission finally decided to limit the sample to the two exporting producers originally selected to form part of the sample and that had the highest export volume to the Union. Their export volume accounts for more than 30% of total exports of all cooperating Chinese exporting producers. In order to allow exporting producers in the PRC to submit a claim for market economy treatment (‘MET) or individual treatment (IT), if they so wished, the Commission sent claim forms to the Chinese exporting producers known to be concerned, the Chinese auth- orities and to other Chinese exporting producers that made themselves known within the deadlines set out in the notice of initiation. Three Chinese exporting producers, including one that was included in the sample, requested MET pursuant to Article 2(7) of the basic Regulation, or IT should the investigation establish that they did not meet the conditions for MET. One of these exporting producers, which was not included in the