BRUSSELS- The European Commission has started an investigation to determine whether to impose tariffs on imports of cold-rolled flat stainless steel from India and Indonesia that EU producers say are arriving in Europe at unfairly low prices.

The Commission, which oversees trade policy in the 27-member European Union, said it had received an anti-dumping complaint from European steel association Eurofer on behalf of producers representing more than 25% of EU production.

The complaint says that raw material prices in the two countries are distorted because of export restrictions, meaning producers there can price their stainless steel at lower prices.

The complaint refers to export restrictions in India on chromium and in Indonesia on nickel ore.

If the Commission decides Indian and Indonesian producers have dumped products in Europe, it could impose provisional duties within eight months. Definitive duties, typically lasting five years, could be put in place within 14 months.

The Commission has carried out a series of investigations into steel and stainless steel imports, with one on hot-rolled flat stainless products from China and Indonesia ongoing.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; editing by Barbara Lewis) ((philip.blenkinsop@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 585 2869; Reuters Messaging: philip.blenkinsop.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))