Brussels, 30/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Although it has not abandoned its anti-dumping procedures against European wine and polysilicon, the Chinese government - having reached a compromise with the European Commission on solar panels - will facilitate discussions on these two files with European producers.
The agreement concluded last weekend by the European Commission and Chinese Ministry of Trade on exports of Chinese solar panels through a price commitment (see EUROPE 10898) is without counterbalance. Beijing has not abandoned its anti-dumping investigations into certain EU products, including the investigation launched in November 2012 into European exports of polycrystalline silicon (or polysilicon, and element used in the manufacture of solar panels) and the investigation launched in April into European wine, in retaliation for establishing provisional anti-dumping duties against Chinese solar panels.
Both of the two Chinese anti-dumping investigations will run to their end, said European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht at his presentation to the press, on Monday 29 July, of a compromise on solar panels. The investigation into European polysilicon is due to come to an end in February 2014 with the establishment (or not) of provisional Chinese anti-dumping duties on EU exports, and possibly definitive measures two months later. The investigation into the production and financing conditions of European wine traded in China (see EUROPE 10878) is due to come to an end in April 2014, with the establishment (or not) of provisional duties, then possibly definitive measures two months later. These are time periods which, in both cases, leave time to find an amicable solution, De Gucht indicated, saying that the Chinese Ministry of Trade was committed to facilitating discussions with producers.
On Monday, De Gucht said that he hoped the solution on the solar panels issue would set the tone for the other issues. He said that the Chinese had the right to launch an investigation [into European wine] and that they had to be able to prove dumping. He added that European wine producers have given assurances that they do not use dumping practices for their exports and that the Commission would defend them. The Chinese investigation targets around 15 different subsidies in the European wine sector, including national arrangements as part of the rural development policy, promotion programmes in third countries, and support for wine caves. (EH/transl.fl)