Brussels, 04/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU institutions have taken a number of trade policy decisions, of which the following.
- United States. The European Commission has terminated the anti-dumping proceedings (initiated in January 1999) concerning imports of television camera systems originating in the United States. In reality, there was only one US exporter, the American subsidiary of the Japanese firm Sony. The investigation demonstrated the existence of dumping practices and injury to Community producers (Philips and Thomson), but towards the end of the year, Sony informed the Commission that it had decided to stop manufacturing the systems in question in the United States and to transfer production to Europe. Imports from the United States ceased in December 1999, thus making anti-dumping measures pointless. The Commission consequently terminated the proceedings.
Anti-dumping duties remain in force for the same products originating in Japan.
- Russia. The European Commission has accepted the undertakings made jointly by the Russian authorities and three Russian steelworks concerning exports of seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel. The company undertakings concern price increases for a given quantity of exports and the alignment of prices to those prevailing on the Community market. The undertakings by the Russian authorities consist of guarantees that the Trade Ministry will control and authenticate the firms' respect for their commitments. Beyond the agreed quantities, anti-dumping duties of 26.8% will be imposed. The undertakings will be monitored by the Russian Trade Ministry, importers/exporters and the European Commission.
Further to the Commission's acceptance of the undertakings, the Council modified the regulation which, in November 1997, introduced anti-dumping duties on the products in question originating in different countries, of which Russia. The modification consists of elimination of the anti-dumping duties on the products of the three Russian steelworks concerned, namely: Taganrog Mettalurgical Works, Pervouralsky Novotrubny and Celyabinsk Tube-Rolling Plant. In all three cases, the duties were 26.8%. This duty remains in force for exports by other firms not mentioned.
Community steel producers were opposed to the Commission's acceptance of the undertakings, considering that imports from Russia would worsen their situation and lead to additional job losses. The Commission guaranteed that the anti-dumping measures would be reintroduced if the undertakings were not respected and observed that the agreed quantities are well below what Russian producers used to export. It therefore accepted the undertakings.
- China. The Council has decided to re-impose definitive anti-dumping duties on leather handbags originating in the People's Republic of China and sold by five enterprises targeted by the measure introduced in 1997. These exporters had requested a review of the measure, pointing out that they deserved individual treatment as "new exporters". As such special status could not be granted, the Commission continued the review it had initiated at their request, concluding that the anti-dumping duties of 38% should be applicable to the five applicants. The Council regulation validating this position has been published in Official Journal L 22 of 27 January.
- India. The European Commission is conducting an interim review of countervailing duties introduced in 1998 on stainless steel bars originating in India and exported by Chandan Steel Ltd. This firm alleged, and supplied sufficient evidence of its claim, that the measure is no longer justified at the present rate because the level of disputed subsidies has dropped to 7.5%, which is substantially less than the countervailing rate of 19% on its exports. The notice of initiation of the review is published in Official Journal C 22 of 26 January.
