Brussels, 14/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - According to the latest half-yearly report from the WTO on anti-dumping, Asian countries were the most targeted by the new investigations and by the new antidumping measures adopted during the second half of 2006 (report on first half 2006, EUROPE 9317).
With 36 inquiries opened against its exports (compared to 33 for the same period in 2005), China remains the country that is most frequently the target of investigations, ahead of Indonesia (7 new investigations), Taiwan, Japan and South Korea (6 each) as well as Brazil (5). The Union for its part had three investigations opened against it during the second half of 2006.
In total, between July and December 2006, 19 member states launched 103 new investigations compared to 96 during the second half of 2005. With 17 opened (compared to 9 during the second half of 2005), the Union opened the largest number of investigations followed by India (12 compared to 14), Argentina (10), Brazil (9), Malaysia (8) and China (7). Sector by sector, chemical products were most often the target of new investigations with 25 proceedings initiated, followed by wood pulp and paper (16 inquiries opened) and common metals (also 16). Out of the 25 new inquiries notified with regard to chemical products, 8 were notified by the Union, 7 by China and India.
Chinese exports did not only come under the most investigations during the second half of 2006, but the largest number of new antidumping measures were also adopted against them by other member countries. Twenty-two measures were adopted against China, the same number as for the same period in 2005. Indonesia and India come after China with 7 and 6 inquiries against them respectively. The Union was the subject of three new measures against its exports.
In total, 15 member countries pointed out that they had applied 66 new final antidumping measures between July and December 2006, compared to 76 during the second half of 2005. Turkey notified the largest number (10, i.e. twice as many as during the second half of 2005) ahead of China (9 new measures), India (8), the Union and South Korea (7 each). Sector by sector, textile products were the most often targeted with 14 of the total 66 new measures ahead of plastic materials (13), common metals and machines (8 each). (eh)