Australia: CORRS Calls For Reform of Anti-Dumping Investigations

01/10/2012 12:00 - 409 Views

Corrs has called for more rigorous oversight of anti-dumping and subsidy investigations in its submission to The Brumby Anti-Dumping Review.

The Review is seeking comment on whether Australia should establish a stand-alone anti-dumping agency to undertake anti-dumping investigations.

Corrs’ submission rejects the notion that a stand-alone agency would necessarily improve the quality of investigations as currently undertaken by Australian Customs and Border Protection. Anti-dumping Investigations are tightly guided by GATT rules and as such the issue of ‘which agency’ does investigations should be irrelevant.

Of greater significance is the actual conduct of investigations and this is where substantial improvements can, and should be, made. Corrs proposes a new organisational structure in which expert investigation teams would report to an independent panel with judicial oversight.

The supervision of investigations by the panel would impose a new level of rigour and give greater confidence in Australia’s anti-dumping system.

Again, whether this organisational structure is situated within Australian Customs and Border Protection Service or in a stand-alone Commonwealth Anti-Dumping Agency should not matter. Rather, its adoption would result in more effective dumping and subsidy investigations that comply with domestic and international rules.

28th September 2012

Source: corrs.com.au