WTO Says 32 States Took Anti-Dumping Actions in H1 .

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has stated that 32 WTO member states reported taking anti-dumping actions during the first half of 2010.

This came after the meeting of the committee on anti-dumping practices, where a number of these actions were questioned, and the members concerned were urged to follow WTO rules.

The WTO secretariat previously reported that during the second half of 2008, initiations of new anti-dumping investigations increased 17% compared with the corresponding period of 2007, while there were 208 initiations of new anti-dumping investigations in 2008, as compared to 163 in 2007, and 202 in 2006.

No statistics on anti-dumping investigations were released for 2009.

If a company exports a product at a price lower than the price it normally charges in its own home market, it is said to be "dumping" the product. Opinions differ on whether or not this is unfair competition, and anti-dumping creates tension between those who need protection and those who see import opportunity.

Governments take action against dumping in order to defend their domestic industries. The WTO agreement does not pass judgement, its focus is on how governments can or cannot react to dumping - it disciplines anti-dumping actions.

The WTO explained that the following member states notified the organisation of anti-dumping actions taken during the period January 1, to June 30, 2010: Argentina; Australia; Botswana; Brazil; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Egypt; European Union (EU); India; Indonesia; Israel; Jamaica; Korea; Lesotho; Mexico; Namibia; New Zealand; Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; South Africa; Swaziland; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; Turkey; Ukraine and the US.

Chile said that it was following Brazil's investigation on sea salt, which started in March 2009.

The US questioned the extension and increase of Brazil's anti-dumping duty on ethylene glycol.

Brazil assured Chile that the investigation would follow WTO rules, and explained to the US that Brazilian law on sunset review provided for both extension and modification of level of duty.

On Japan's concern regarding China's treatment of a Japanese exporter of chloroprene rubber in an anti-dumping investigation, China said that it found a discrepancy between the exporter's answer in the questionnaire and the result of an on-spot investigation.

In reply to questions from the US and the EU, China said it would follow WTO rules in its investigation on optical fibre. In a general statement, China said that despite being the number-one target of anti-dumping and countervailing-duty measures, it was prudently using the anti-dumping instrument.

The EU, in its answer to China, said that its simultaneous safeguard, anti-dumping and countervailing-duty investigations on wireless wide area networking modems, and a separate investigation on ironing boards, were justified, and would follow WTO rules.

Turkey expressed serious concern that Indonesia's investigation on wheat flour has not been concluded two years after it had started.

China questioned the US' methodology in its anti-dumping investigation on tubular goods. The US said it would refer China's question to capital.

Japan expressed concern that the average duration of US measures on 19 Japanese products was 15 years.

The Committee reviewed notifications of new or amended anti-dumping legislation from Colombia, Croatia and Guyana.

Source : engineeringnews.co.za