Australia Finds 16% AD Duty on China Al Extrusions

SINGAPORE, Nov. 4 -- Australia has decided to impose a preliminary anti-dumping duty of 16% on certain aluminum extrusions from China from November 6.

    "In reaching this preliminary decision, Customs and Border Protection is satisfied that the dumped and subsidized goods appear to have caused material injury to the Australian industry producing like goods," said the Australian customs and border protection service.

    It added that "it is necessary to require and take securities [for the provisional 16% duty] to prevent material injury to the Australian industry occurring while the investigation continues".

    Customs is to report the recommendations to the home affairs minister by April 15, 2010, and depending on the decision, any securities taken may be converted to interim dumping duty or acquitted.

    Customs also said "there appears to be sufficient grounds for the publication of a dumping duty notice and countervailing duty notice".

    Countervailing duties have yet to be assessed but "industry sources consider [that they] should be assessed on the same basis as those found in an April 2009 Canada Border Protection Service case involving similar products," said John Heslop, director at Heslop Consulting.

    The Canadian International Trade Tribunal imposed dumping margins of 42.4-101% on exporters of certain Chinese aluminum extrusions earlier this year and has declined to review its decision despite appeals from Canadian companies.

    Australia initiated anti-dumping investigations into Chinese aluminum extrusions on June 24, after an application from Capral Ltd, Australia's biggest supplier of the product, on behalf of the industry.

    (Source: Metal Bulletin)