Thursday, April 22, 2004
India leads in trade defence measures
Our Economy Bureau / New Delhi April 22,2004
Members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) initiated 115 anti-dumping investigations between July and December last year, as against 161 in the corresponding period during 2002. India remained the most frequent user of trade defence measures with 33 investigations being held in the six-month period.
According to data released by the WTO secretariat on Wednesday, 16 member countries imposed 107 final anti-dumping measures against exports from 31 countries during the second half of 2003, as against 113 measures imposed between July and December 2002.
Developed countries imposed 23 of the 107 final anti-dumping measures in the second half of 2003, a decline from 33 measures imposed during the corresponding period of 2002, a WTO release said.
India topped this list as well with 32 final measures being imposed during July-December last year compared to 43 in the corresponding period of 2002. China was second, with 21 final measures being imposed, followed by the United States with nine final measures.
In terms of investigations initiated, India launched 33 probes in the six month period in 2003, compared to 56 in July-December 2002 and was followed by the US (21 compared to 13 in July-December 2002), China (11 against 6) while Canada, Mexico, and Australia reported 9, 8, and 7 initiations, respectively.
"China remains at the top of the list of countries subject to anti-dumping investigations, with 30 investigations initiated on its exports during the second semester of 2003, the same number as during the corresponding period of 2002," the release added.
The US (12), European Union (8) and Japan (8) followed by India and South Korea with 7 each. In terms of final measures too, China topped the list with 22 measures in the second half of 2003, as against 19 during July-December 2002.
Chemicals were subjected to the maximum number of anti dumping investigations (31) with India initiating 13 investigations in the sector, followed by base metals (iron, steel and aluminum) with 29 probes.
Canada initiated 7 of its nine investigations in that sector, followed by Mexico and the United States, with 5 each, and Australia and New Zealand with 4 each.
The plastics sector accounted for 16 initiations, with India initiating 9, followed by China with 3.
In terms of final measures too chemicals was the most affected sector, with 40 final measures, followed by base metals (20) and plastics (17). India accounted for 22 of the measures imposed on chemicals, followed by China (7).