Australia: Second tranche of anti-dumping improvements introduced to Parliament

27/11/2011 12:00 - 367 Views

Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Brendan O’Connor today introduced legislation implementing the second tranche of improvements under the Gillard Government’s major overhaul of Australia’s anti-dumping system.

The changes to the Customs Act 1901 introduce a new appeals process, allow for more flexible use of extensions to investigative timeframes, and establish the International Trade Remedies Forum (ITRF) in legislation.

“We are improving the quality of anti-dumping decisions in the interests of the Australian economy and Australian jobs,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Appeals will be heard more quickly and determined independently of the original investigation. Appeals will now be able to be sought of all my decisions.

“There will also be more flexibility in the time taken to conduct an investigation to allow complex matters to be examined, or to allow the consideration of new information.”

The ITRF is a key component of the Government’s changes to Australia’s anti-dumping system. The Government is committed to an ongoing conversation with people and businesses affected by the anti-dumping system as part of a process of continuous improvement.

“We consulted widely on the development of our policy and we will continue to consult to ensure we meet the right balance between the needs of different parts of Australian industry,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Establishing the International Trade Remedies Forum in legislation will help ensure that the anti-dumping system continues to reflect industry experience.”

The Forum represents manufacturers, producers, importers, industry associations, trade unions and relevant Government agencies.

“The Government has acted quickly to implement these reforms to ensure Australian businesses, their workers, and communities benefit immediately from the most significant changes to Australia’s anti-dumping system in more than a decade,” Mr O’Connor said.

The Gillard Government announced 29 reforms to the anti-dumping system in June this year.

The first tranche of reforms, which took effect from 24 October 2011, include:

• faster decision-making by limiting the time taken by the Minister to make a decision to 30 days,

• improved decision-making by clarifying factors that may indicate material injury to an Australian industry, and

• ensuring that Australia’s anti-dumping system is comparable to other jurisdictions in terms of participation by parties, and in relation to countervailable subsidies.

Other changes that have been implemented since June include the creation of an online register providing improved access to subsidies data, greater use of trade and industry experts to investigate complaints, and recruitment of additional Customs and Border Protection staff to ensure cases are not delayed by a lack of resources.

“The package of improvements reaffirms the Government’s commitment to world trading rules, while supporting Australian industries and our workforce to enforce their rights against unfair dumping practices,” Mr O’Connor said.

Source: ministerhomeaffairs.gov.au