CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (Sept. 7, 1 p.m. ET) — The Canberra-based Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) has launched three separate inquiries into anti-dumping measures on PVC homopolymer resin exported from Japan, the United States and South Korea.
The first inquiry is investigating normal values and non-injurious free on board (NIFOB) prices for U.S. and Japanese imports. The second is reviewing anti-dumping measures for Japanese imports, which expire Oct. 22, 2012. The third is investigating the alleged dumping of PVC exported from Korea.
Anti-dumping measures apply where the export price of goods is lower than ascertained normal values and NIFOB prices. NIFOB is the minimum price necessary to prevent injury, or a recurrence of injury, to the Australian industry by dumping.
Anti-dumping measures were imposed on PVC from the U.S. and Japan in 1992 and are supposed to be reviewed every five years. The measures were last reviewed in 2005 when revised normal values and NIFOBs were fixed for all exporters.
On Feb. 2, Melbourne-based Chemiplas Australia Pty Ltd, which imports Japanese and U.S. PVC, asked for normal value and NIFOB prices to be reviewed. Chemiplas said PVC prices have fluctuated since the 2005 review, so the values have changed.
ACBPS launched a separate inquiry on Feb. 24 into whether anti-dumping measures applying to PVC exported from Japan should continue, after Australia’s sole PVC manufacturer, Melbourne-based Australian Vinyls Corp. Pty. Ltd. (AVC), made an application.
AVC wants the measures to continue because it claims it is susceptible to further injury should the Australian PVC market deteriorate or if other market pressures emerge.
ACBPS’s preliminary view is that without anti-dumping measures, Japanese exports will continue or resume, causing material injury to Australia’s PVC industry. A final report is also due Sept. 25.
On April 23, ACBPS launched an investigation into the alleged dumping of PVC exported from Korea after AVC lodged a submission.
ACBPS said its preliminary view is Korean PVC exports are being dumped, causing “material injury” to the Australian market. It found the dumping margin was 3.43 percent.
Provisional anti-dumping measures in the form of dumping securities were imposed on Korean PVC exports on June 28. Anti-dumping measures previously applied to Korean exports from 2000 to 2010.
