The World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat has reported that in the first half of 2007 the number of new antidumping (AD) investigations and new antidumping measures declined by 47 percent and 20 percent respectively, as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
In the first six months of 2007, 13 member countries initiated a total of 49 new antidumping investigations, down from 92 initiated investigations during the corresponding period of 2006. A total of 16 members applied 57 new final antidumping measures during the first half of 2007, compared to the 71 new measures applied during the first half of 2006.
India, with 13 initiated investigations, led other members in new investigations during the first half of 2007. Following India were New Zealand (6), South Korea (5), and Brazil, China and Japan (4 each).
China remains the most frequent subject of new investigations, with 16 initiated investigations directed at its exports during January-June 2007, compared with 31 during the corresponding period of 2006. Other targets included Chinese Taipei, the European Communities (including individual member states) and South Korea (4 each), followed by India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the US, each of which was the subject of two investigations.
Products that were the object of new investigations during the first half of 2007 included the chemicals sector (24 initiations), followed by pulp and paper (9 initiations) and plastics (6 initiations).
Regarding new final antidumping measures, India led the list during the first half of 2007, applying 16 of the total of 57 new measures reported. The figure indicates an increase compared to the eight new measures reported for January-June 2006. Following India were Argentina (7 new measures), the European Community (6), China (5), Pakistan (4) and Canada, Colombia, Turkey and the US (3 each).
Products in the chemicals sector were the most frequent object of new measures during the first half of 2007, accounting for 12 of the total of 57 new measures. The textiles sector was next, with 11 new measures affecting products in this sector. Third was the base metals sector, with nine measures.