WTO Secretariat reports significant decline in new final anti-dumping measures

The European Communities, India and the United States imposed the most new final measures, 6 each, during the first semester of 2004. For India, this is a significant decline from the 21 measures it imposed during the corresponding period of 2003, but it is an increase for the EC and US, from 1 and 3 measures respectively. Canada was a close second in the number of final measures imposed during the period, with 5, followed by China, Peru and Turkey with 4 each. Other Members imposed 3 or fewer measures each during this period.

Exports from China were once more the subject of the largest number of new final measures (16) during the first semester of 2004, down slightly from the 18 measures imposed against Chinese exports during the first semester of 2003. Korea, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand were distant seconds, with 3 measures each on their exports, while 19 other countries or customs territories were subject to fewer than three measures each on their exports. 

The largest number of new final measures were imposed on products classified in the base metals sector of the Harmonized System of Tariff Classification, which includes iron, steel and aluminium products, with 19 new final measures imposed on products in that sector. The chemicals sector was second most affected, with 12 new measures imposed, and the minerals sector was third, with 5 measures. Of the new measures on products in the base metals sector, the largest number was imposed by the United States – 5 of its 6 new measures were on products in that sector. India imposed 5 of its 6 new measures on products in the chemical sector, while China imposed all 4 of its new measures on products in the minerals sector.  The EC imposed 3 new measures on chemical products, 2 on products in the live animals/animal products sector, and one on a textile product.

Sixteen WTO Members initiated 101 anti-dumping investigations against exports from a total of 23 different countries or customs territories during the first half of 2004. This is only slightly more than the 98 investigations initiated in the first half of 2003, but a larger number of Members (22) initiated those 98 investigations. Forty of the 101 initiations during the first semester of 2004 were reported by developed countries.

The United States initiated the most investigations during the first semester of 2003 (21), up from the 16 investigations it had initiated during the first semester of 2003. The European Communities and Turkey had the second highest number of initiations during the first semester of 2004, with 13 each, significantly more than the 3 and 5 investigations initiated by those Members, respectively, during the first half of 2003.   China reported 11 initiations in the first half of 2004, the same number as during the corresponding period of 2003, while other Members reported 7 or fewer initiations each.

China, with 23 investigations on its exports, up from 17 initiations in the first semester of 2003, remains at the top of the list of countries and customs territories subject to anti-dumping investigations. Chinese Taipei and Korea were next, with, respectively, 14 and 11 investigations initiated on their exports in the first semester of 2004. The United States had 8 investigations initiated on its exports, Russia had 6, and India and Thailand had 5 each. Sixteen other Members had 4 or fewer investigations initiated on their exports during the first semester of 2004.

The largest number (20) of investigations initiated during the first semester of 2004 involved products in the base metals sector. The second most affected sectors were chemicals and plastics (18 initiations each), followed by textiles (15 investigations). The United States initiated 7 of its 21 investigations on products in the live animals/animal products sector, 5 investigations in the base metals sector, and 4 in the plastics sector. The European Communities initiated 4 of its 13 investigations on textile products, and three each on products in the plastics and base metals sectors. Turkey initiated 5 of its 13 investigations on plastics, and 5 on textile products.   China initiated 7 of its 11 investigations on products in the chemicals sector, and the remaining 4 on products in the wood pulp/paper sector.

The data are taken from the semi-annual reports of Members to the anti-dumping Committee. The statistics are based on information from Members having submitted semi-annual reports for the relevant periods, and are incomplete to the extent Members have not submitted reports or have submitted incomplete reports. For the purpose of these statistics, each investigation or measure reported covers one product imported from one country or customs territory.

The anti-dumping semi-annual reports by Members for the period 1 January – 30 June 2004 can be found under document series (G/ADP/N/119).