Brussels, 28/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - European exporters of security equipment can again sell on the Chinese market without being hit by anti-dumping duties.
Chinese authorities have confirmed that their additional duties on imports of X-ray scanners from the EU were lifted on 19 February, in line with the WTO ruling of February 2013. This ruling condemned the duties, which had been the subject of a complaint lodged at the WTO by the EU in 2011 (DS 425).
On 26 February 2013, the WTO dispute settlement body confirmed the illegality of the anti-dumping duties imposed by China (ranging from 33.5% to 71.8%) and affecting X-ray scanners from the EU since January 2011.
Not finding any reason to justify these measures - which were set up in retaliation for the EU's anti-dumping duties applied to cargo scanners from China from June 2010 - the Commission called for consultations at the WTO in July 2011. The consultations did not lead to any acceptable solution, however. Nevertheless, the EU was determined to resolve the issue and called, in December 2011, for a special panel to be set up to rule on the complaint. This was the first complaint of its type against Chinese trade defence measures. (EH)