China Disagrees with Canada Anti-Dumping Findings

Jason Sandefur

China objected to the findings of a Canadian trade investigation into alleged dumping of Chinese-made carbon steel and stainless steel fasteners.\
“The Canadian investigation bureau… did not come to China to carry out field investigations, but based their findings about the subsidy level on Canada”s unilateral information,” the Ministry of Commerce released in a written statement.” The Chinese side expresses dissatisfaction over this.”
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) concluded that China gave 1.25 yuan (15 US cents) in subsidies per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of fasteners exported.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal is continuing its review to determine if the dumping and subsidizing have hurt the Canadian industry. It is expected to make a decision by January 7, 2005.
Under World Trade Organization rules, China will hold consultations with Canada to address the issue.
Chinese exports of such products were worth about $9 million from January 1, 2003 to March 31 this year, according to Agence France-Presse.
In September, Canada announced provisional duties on certain carbon and stainless steel nuts, bolts and screws imported from China and Taiwan. The tariffs were issued after a preliminary investigation by the CBSA determined that the Asian countries had dumped fasteners in Canada at artificially low prices.
The investigation was prompted by a complaint from Leland Industries Inc. of Toronto, which claimed that cheap imports from China and Taiwan had increased, flooding the market and driving down domestic prices.
The provisional anti-dumping rates against fasteners from China and Taiwan range from 2% to 126%. The provisional countervailing duty rates against fasteners from China are 32%, while duty rates for Taiwan products are 7%.
The duties are opposed by the Canadian Fastener Importers Coalition, a 22-member group of importers and manufacturers. �2005 FastenerNews.com