On 26 March 2008 the Australian Customs Service initiated an investigation into an application lodged by Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Limited (KCA) and SCA Hygiene Australasia Pty Ltd (SCA) on behalf of the Australian industry for a countervailing duty notice in respect of certain toilet paper exported to Australia from the People’s Republic of China (China).  The application alleged that the goods that had been exported to Australia were subsidised and because of that were causing material injury to the Australian industry.  
 
A notice under s. 269TC(4) of the Customs Act 1901 advising the initiation of this investigation was published in The Australian newspaper on 26 March 2008. Australian Customs Dumping Notice (ACDN) No 2008/12 was also published to notify interested parties of the investigation.  ACDN No 2008/12 is available on the internet at www.customs.gov.au  (following the anti-dumping link).
 
On 24 October 2008, SCA and KCA withdrew the application for a countervailing duty notice in respect of certain toilet paper exported to Australia from China, in accordance with s. 269TB(3) of the Customs Act 1901.  Accordingly, Customs has ceased its investigation concerning the application and no final findings will be made on the allegations of subsidisation, material injury and causal link.  
It is important to note that the separate investigations into the alleged dumping of certain toilet paper exported to Australia from China and the Republic of Indonesia will continue.  The statement of essential facts in regard to those investigations is due to be placed on the public record by 1 November 2008, and will set out the facts on which Customs proposes to base its recommendations to the Minister for Home Affairs.