Brussels, 08/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The last half-yearly report by the WTO on antidumping highlights the fact that there was a net increase in the number of antidumping investigations opened and new antidumping measures taken in the world during the second half of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007. This net increase was confirmed on an annual basis, since 208 new antidumping procedures were launched in 2008, compared to 163 in 2007 (and 202 in 2006), and 138 new final antidumping measures were taken in 2008 compared to 107 in 2007 (137 in 2006). The report also confirms the trend noted in the second half of 2007 (EUROPE 9704) and the first half of 2008 (EUROPE 9767), whereby China is still the prime target for the new investigations and antidumping measures adopted worldwide. With 34 investigations opened against Chinese exports (compared to 40 over the same period in 2007), China is still the country that is targeted the most frequently in new investigations, ahead of the EU (14), the United States, Thailand and Taiwan (6), South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia (5), and Saudi Arabia and India (4). In total, during the second half of 2008, 15 member nations launched 120 new investigations (compared to 103 during the second half of 2007). With 42 inquiries opened, India launched the largest number, followed by Brazil (16), China (11), Turkey (10), Argentina and the EU (9), Indonesia (6), Ukraine (4), the United States and Pakistan (3). Taking sector by sector, base metals were the most often concerned by the new investigations with 43 procedures engaged, followed by chemical products (22), textiles (19) and plastics (14). Out of the 43 new inquiries notified concerning base metals, 24 were notified by India, 8 by the EU and 3 by Indonesia. Although Chinese exports are the most affected by investigations opened during the second half of 2008, they were also the subject of the largest number of new measures adopted by other member states. China was in fact the subject of 37 measures adopted against it out of a total of 81 new measures notified to the WTO (i.e. 21 more than for the same period of 2007). The EU and Indonesia come next, with 5 new measures each against their exports, then South Korea (4), India and the United States (3). In total, 11 member nations said they applied 81 new final antidumping measures during the first half of 2008, compared to 56 during the same period of 2007. The United States notified the largest number (21), i.e. over 10 times as much as in the second half of 2007, ahead of India (13), Turkey (11), Brazil (8) and the EU (6) and Argentina (3). On a sector by sector basis, chemical products were the most often targeted, with 26 new measures, ahead of base metals (13) and the plastics and paper sectors (11), and textiles (10). Out of the 26 new measures concerning chemical products, India applied 13, the United States and Japan 4 each, South Korea 3 and the EU 2. (E.H./transl.jl)