SHANGHAI -- The China Fastener Industry Association (CFIA)?strongly demanded the lifting of discriminatory anti-dumping duties from the EU on fasteners from China in an open letter sent to the Council of European Union on Monday.

Feng Jinyao, president of the association, said the country's fastener industry has suffered great losses in the recent two years due to the EU's unfair treatment on Chinese fastener makers. The association is a representative body of nearly 500 Chinese fastener manufacturers.

Feng said the anti-dumping duties have affected the normal trade between China and the EU, while the EU market has also endured losses.

China is the world's biggest producer of screws, nuts, bolts and washers, while the EU is its major market.

The strong voice from the industry came after the appellate body of the World Trade Organization ruled recently that the EU is not complying with international commerce rules by imposing anti-dumping duties on the fasteners from China, and that the EU is illegally taxing Chinese steel fasteners.

The EU imposed anti-dumping duties of 26.5 to 85 percent on fasteners from China for five years in January 2009. The country's fastener exports to the market plunged from 1 million metric tons in 2008 to merely 100,000 tons in 2010.