5 December 2012
Anti-dumping squad puts Asia on notice
The Australian
Customs' anti-dumping investigation squad will double in size and a commission will be established to handle complaints about cheap imports under a Gillard government plan to protect the manufacturing industry.
The new regime will likely pit Australian authorities against some Asian manufacturers in industries such as steel and glass, and follows the release of a report by former Victorian premier John Brumby last month into dumping at below-cost prices.
In announcing the move, Julia Gillard said one of the challenges manufacturing faced was competition from dumped imported products.
The Anti-Dumping Commission would be a "policeman to make sure we are enforcing fair rules so that Australian manufacturers don't face competition from dumped cheap imported product".
"Australian manufacturing can be strong for the future, but Australian manufacturing can only be strong if it gets a fair go and a level playing field," the Prime Minister said.
Ms Gillard said the commission would investigate complaints, boost funding to Customs by $24.4 million over four years to almost double the number of investigators, make the system easier for small business to access and introduce stricter remedies against overseas producers who deliberately circumvented Australia's anti-dumping rules.
The move won support from industry and Australian Workers Union national secretary Paul Howes.
Opposition industry spokeswoman Sophie Mirabella accused the government of stealing the Coalition's policy announced in November last year, which involved setting up a new body to investigate anti-dumping.
"Labor has today been shamed into following the leader, the Liberal leader, with their copycat announcement on anti-dumping," she said.
Manufacturing Australia, which represents a coalition of big manufacturers, welcomed the move. Australian Food and Grocery Council chief executive Gary Dawson said it was warranted by the threat dumped product represented to Australian manufacturers.
BlueScope steel managing director Paul O'Malley also backed the move. "BlueScope has suffered significant injury from dumped imported steel, which we estimate has cost the company around $100m in the last financial year," he said.
"Business expects a level playing field, where competition is tough but fair. The changes announced today by the government send a strong deterrent message to foreign manufacturers and importers not to dump goods in Australia.
"If they persist in dumping, then penalties will potentially be higher and longer-lasting, and anti-circumvention measures tougher." BlueScope has fought anti-dumping actions against imports of hot rolled coil from South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia.