Australia: $25m to tackle anti-dumping

18/07/2013 12:00 - 469 Views

Former Deloitte Access Economics director Dale Seymour will head Australia's new anti-dumping agency, which has been allocated almost $25 million across four years by the federal government.

At the official launch yesterday in Melbourne, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said the commission had started recruiting about 25 new staff members who would be armed with six pieces of legislative reform to help protect local producers.

The commission, which was set up only a few weeks ago, has begun looking into the alleged dumping of peaches from South Africa and tomatoes from Italy, though Mr Clare said the practice also occurred in several industries, including building and food manufacturing.

He said the number of investigations into dumping had tripled in recent years, though it is not prohibited under international trade agreements.

"Dumping is where something is imported into Australia at less than its real cost. It's effectively cheating," he said.

July 11, 2013 12:00AM

By Miitchell Nadin

Source: Theaustralian.com.au