GENEVA, Oct 24: The United States decreased its use of anti-dumping investigations during the first six months of the year, according to data released by the World Trade Organization on Thursday.

Overall, the WTO’s 144 member states appeared to be less concerned about possible off-loading of excessively cheap imports by foreign competitors on their home markets, the Geneva-based WTO said in a semi-annual report. Anti-dumping measures are one of the most contentious issues of the Doha round of trade negotiations launched last year.

The US initiated 22 anti-dumping investigations during the first half of 2002 compared with 40 during the same period last year, making it second on the list of countries probing possible cases of dumping.

Overall, 104 anti-dumping investigations were set up in the first half of 2002 compared with 149 a year ago, with 63 of the probes occurring in developing countries.

India took over the top place on the list, although the 25 anti-dumping investigations it initiated in the first half of 2002 remained relatively stable compared to the same period last year (24).

Most of the investigations involved metals or chemicals.

Although China was at the centre of 16 investigations, heading the list of those suspected of off-loading exports below their production and distribution costs, the number represented a decrease from 24 in the first half of 2001.

Fourteen countries resorted to 111 anti-dumping measures in the first half of 2001, an increase from the 82 recorded measures taken last year.—AFP