Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon has instructed the Comptroller of Customs and Excuse to impose anti-dumping duties on aluminium products from the People’s Republic of China.
According to the February 21 order signed by the minister, Chinese exporters will be assessed for duties of six per cent for aluminium bars, rods and profiles, and nine per cent for aluminium tubes and pipes. The duties are effective for five years.
Gopee-Scoon, in making a final determination that exporters from China have been dumping aluminium products in T&T, wrote: “Imports of aluminium extrusions originating in the People’s Republic of China were sold at a dumped price and have caused material injury to the domestic industry.
“The existence of significant price effects on the local market having a negative impact on the production of like goods by the local industry demonstrates a causal relationship between the existence of the dumped import on the local market and the injury suffered by the complainant.”
A complaint under the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act was filed in 2014 by Cantrex, a firm based in T&T, in relation to aluminium extrusions, specifically aluminium bars, rods, tubes and pipes.
Seven Chinese suppliers were identified: Guangdong Xinhe Aluminium Company, Guandong Grandshire Construction Material Company Ltd, Meiyuan Sanxing Aluminium Industry Company Ltd, Nahai Hongjia Aluminium Company, Guangcheng Aluminium Company Ltd, Shangdong Hylong Aluminium Company Ltd and Shanghai Ruiy Metal Ltd.
According to a report from the Trade Ministry, Cantrex alleged the metal products “are being dumped on the local market and provided sufficient prima facie evidence of dumping and injury and a causal link between dumping and injury.” The complaint defined “injury” as harm to production in T&T of like goods.