WTO reports decline in new AD investigations, new AD measures

WTO reports decline in new AD investigations, new AD measures

According to the statement released by World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat, the number of initiations of antidumping investigations, and the number of new final antidumping measures indicated substantial decline during the period July 1, 2004-December 31, 2004. During July 31-December 31, 2004 period, 17 members initiated a total of 103 new antidumping investigations, down from 135 initiations in the corresponding period of 2003. In addition, 15 Members applied a total of 91 new antidumping measures during the second half of 2004, a decline from the 108 measures applied during the second half of 2003. Among members initiating new investigations, the European Communities (EC), with 17 initiations, was the member reporting the highest number during the second half of 2004. China, India and Turkey followed the EC with 16, 14 and 12 initiations, respectively. China remains the most frequent subject of new investigations, with 25 initiations directed at its exports during July-December 2004. This level represents a significant decline from the 36 initiations directed at Chinese exports during the corresponding period of 2003. Korea, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Japan and the US followed China with 12, 6, 6, 5 and 5 initiations of new investigations directed at their exports, respectively. The products that were the subject of new investigations during the second half of 2004 were in the chemicals sector (28 initiations), plastics (16 initiations), and base metals (12 initiations). On the side of new final anti-dumping measures, India headed the list during the second half of 2004, applying 23 of the 91 total new measures reported. This marked a decline against the 32 new measures reported by India in the second half of 2003. India is followed by Turkey (12 new measures), China (10 new measures), Korea (9 new measures), the US (8 new measures), Indonesia (6 new measures), and Mexico and Peru (4 new measures each). Products in the chemicals sector were the most frequent subject of new measures during the second half of 2004, accounting for 29 of the 91 total new measures, which is followed by plastics sector with 20 new measures. Products in the base metals sector were the subject of 15 new measures, while products in the textiles sector were the subject of 11 new measures.