ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: National Tariff Commission (NTC) has imposed provisional anti-dumping duty on acrylic tow imported from Uzbekistan at the rate of 12.71 per cent ad val of C&F price for a period of four months.

The commission had initiated the investigations under the Antidumping Duties Ordinance, 2000, on a complaint received from M/s Dewan Salman Fibre Limited on behalf of the domestic industry last March.

This is the fourth case initiated in Pakistan under the anti-dumping provisions. According to the complaint, acrylic tow, classified under Pakistan Customs Tariff Code 5501.3000, was being exported at dumped prices by exporters from Uzbekistan and that such dumping had caused material injury to the domestic industry of Pakistan.

The data collected in this connection revealed that in 2001, total imports of the said product amounted to 4,930 tons out of which 1,632 tons (33.10pc) originated in Uzbekistan.

In 2002, the total imports rose to 7,713 tons including 2,267 tons (29.39pc) from that country. Their imports surged to 10,122 tons in 2003 with 1,835 tons (18.13pc) of acrylic tow originating in Uzbekistan.

As required by the law, says official notice issued here on Thursday, the commission sent questionnaires, through the embassy of Uzbekistan, to the producer and three exporters there allegedly involved in dumping and importers of the investigated product. They were asked to provide information within the statutory period of 37 days.

Neither the exporters/producers nor the importers responded to the questionnaire. Officers of the Commission carried out on-the-spot investigation at the premises of the domestic industry to verify the information provided by it.

After analysis of the data available from the interested parties, the Commission made a preliminary determination and levied the provisional antidumping duty. The Commission, however, made it clear that the producers/exporters of acrylic tow other than identified from Uzbekistan would not be subject to the provisional antidumping duty.

Explaining the subsequent procedure, the NTC Chairman, Dr. Faizullah Khilji said, the Ordinance provides opportunity to interested parties (which ordinarily include exporters, importers and the domestic industry) to present their views in a hearing if they so desire.

They can also submit post-hearing briefs containing their views on a particular issue or issues to the Commission. The law further requires that the final determination be made by the commission not later than 6 months from the date of publication of notice of preliminary determination.

In case the final determination is affirmative, the Ordinance stipulates that the commission may impose final antidumping duty on the dumped imports equivalent to the dumping margin for a period of up to five years. The Ordinance also provides for the finding being subject to review by the commission at any time after two years.