The Australian Customs Service (ACS) has issued a public notice ordering a halt to anti-dumping investigation into the import of canned pineapple from Indonesia due to a lack of evidence.

The ACS began the anti-dumping investigation on April 15, 2011 at the request of local company Golden Circle, Director of Trade Safeguard at the Indonesian Trade Ministry Ernawati said on Friday.

"Besides Indonesia, Thailand as one of the world`s biggest pineapple producers has also been accused of dumping canned pineapple into Australia," she said.

She said the government had been coordinating with the Indonesian company accused of dumping canned pineapple into Australia.

In its defense submitted to the ACS on June 30, 2012, the Indonesian government through the directorate of trade safeguard said the petition filed by the Australian company lacked evidence.

She said the way in which Australian pineapple industry set the normal value of losses did not follow the WTO rules. The losses were much caused by internal factor.
Data from the Trade Commission show Indonesia`s pineapple exports to Australia stood at US$1.48 million in 2008. The figure fell to US$1.16 million in 2009 and moved up again to US$2.11 million last year.

Last year Indonesia contributed 13.34 percent of Australia`s overall pineapple imports. Over the past three years Indonesia remained in the third place as a supplier of pineapple to Australia next to Thailand and the Philippines which respectively contributed 62.66 percent and 20.32 percent of the country`s canned pineapple.
Besides Australia, the main markets for Indonesia`s pineapples are the Netherlands and Argentina.