Brussels, 30/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has instituted provisional anti-dumping measures on the importing of urus and ammonium nitrate solutions originating in Algeria, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine. The incriminated traders will see a duty imposed, varying between EUR 5.19 and 21.47, during the next six months. However one of them, an Algerian producer-exporter, has obtained exoneration after having undertaken, in a credible manner, to eliminate the prejudice.
The anti-dumping practices are the source of significant prejudice for European producers of the products in question (a liquid fertiliser commonly used in agriculture, which contains urus, ammonium nitrate and water). The elements of proof brought by the European Fertiliser Manufacturers Association (EFMA), on behalf of a dozen companies representing more than 85% of the Community production, found confirmation in the facts brought out by the Commission during the investigation started in June 1999. Thus, it notes in the regulation published in the Official Journal Nº L/75 of 24 March, compared to the situation that prevailed in 1995: a) the importers prices shot down; -25.4% between June 1998 and May 1999 and fell by a further 34% afterwards; b) the volumes rose some 90%; c) the market share of the five countries concerned rose 17 points (to reach 44.2%). This was, on the other hand, a dark period for the Community industry whose prices where undercut, while its market share, profitability and other indicators did not cease to fall while the market was in full growth. This industry remains non the less, according to the Commission, "structurally viable", but "it cannot be dismissed that, in the absence of measures against prejudicial dumping, some companies will have to cease their activities." For lack of measures, it further justifies, that the fall in prices caused by the imports will continue to ruin the efforts for profitability deployed by the Community industry, while the counterweight created by the anti-dumping measures will enable it to maintain and increase its activities, while preserving or even increasing its workforce. These provisional conclusions have brought the Commission to establish duties for each of the countries concerned in accordance with the calculated dumping margin, when necessary, for example with Lithuania, as a country with a reference market economy. The total of these anti-dumping duties are EUR 9.42 for Algeria (except the company Fertalge industries, exonerated under certain conditions), EUR 18.2 for Belarus, EUR 5.19 for Lithuania, EUR 15.46 for Russia and EUR 231.47 for the Ukraine. The investigation also looked into Slovakia, but no dumping practices where found.