KARACHI, March 28: The National Tariff Commission (NTC) has imposed anti-dumping duties on five raw materials for industries imported from seven countries in the last one and a half years while a proceeding is pending against a Chinese firm. This was stated by Member NTC Mumtaz Haider Rizvi while talking to APP at a seminar on “WTO – Anti-dumping Duties: Laws and Procedures”, organized by Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here on Monday.

He said that anti-dumping duties were imposed on imported products which caused material injuries to domestic industry. The investigation against the dumping of products was initiated on the complaints of domestic industry and NTC adopt a prescribed procedure which was transparent, he added.

Mr Rizvi said that the first anti-dumping duty was imposed on South African exporter of tinplates at a rate of 27.33 per cent in November 2002 on the complaint of a local manufacturer Siddique Sons.

He pointed out that NTC had also imposed anti-dumping duty on French and Indonesian companies at a rate of 76.51 per cent and 22.26 per cent respectively on November 19, 2003, for dumping a sweetening material sorbitol.

Similarly, NTC imposed an anti-dumping duty of 13.77 per cent on a Taiwani company in June 2004, for dumping a chemical glacial acetic acid.

He said that in December 2004 12.71 per cent duty was imposed on an Uzbek firm for dumping an artificial fibre acrylic tow.

“We have also imposed anti-dumping duty on Iranian and Korean companies at a rate of 31.06 per cent and 40.18 per cent respectively in February 2005, for dumping local market with PVC resin.

He said NTC was investigating a complaint against a Chinese company for dumping a moulding compound UFMC. This material is used in the manufacture of melamine crockery and produced locally, he added.

Answering a question, he said that local industry was being hurt by the dumping, but the NTC could not take action against the dumping companies unless local manufactures lodge complaints.

Earlier, speaking at the seminar he said that the government had taken measures to protect the local industry against the dumping.

NTC experts and legal consultants talked about various aspects of anti-dumping investigations.—APP