RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/AHG/W/22
26September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3990)
Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
AdHocGroup onImplementation
DRAFT RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING
THE PERIOD OFDATA COLLECTION FOR ADUMPING INVESTIGATION
TheCommitteenotesthatalthoughtheAgreementonImplementationofArticleVIoftheGATT
1994 refers totheperiod ofdatacollection fordumping investigations when itrefers tothe"period
ofinvestigation",itdoesnotestablishanyspecificperiodofinvestigation,1nordoesitestablishguidelines
fordetermining anappropriate period ofinvestigation, fortheexamination ofeither dumping orinjury.
TheCommitteeconsidersthatguidelinesfordeterminingwhatperiodorperiodsofdatacollection
maybeappropriate fortheexamination ofdumping andofinjury would beuseful. TheCommittee
alsorecognizes, however, thatitisimportant thatnational investigating authorities retain flexibility
inorder tobeabletotakeaccount oftheparticular circumstances ofagiven investigation insetting
theperiod ofdatacollection forbothdumping andinjury, toensure thatitisappropriate ineachcase.
Inlightoftheforegoing considerations, theCommittee recommends:
1. Asageneral rule,theperiod ofdatacollection fordumping determinations should benoless
thansixmonths.1
2. Asageneral rule,theperiod ofdatacollection forinjury determinations should bethreeyears.
3. Asageneral rule,theperiod ofdatacollection forbothdumping andinjury determinations
should include themost recent dataavailable.
4. Inestablishing thespecific periods inaparticular investigation, Members should consider the
availability ofdata,andparticularly accounting data,intherecords ofthefirms fromwhich information
willbesought
5. Inestablishingthespecificperiodsinaparticularinvestigation,Membersshouldconsiderlinking
theperiod ofinvestigation tothedateofinitiation inorder toensure thatthemost recent available
dataaresought.
6. Inorder toincrease transparency ofproceedings, investigating authorities should explain the
selection ofaparticular period fordatacollection ifitdiffers from thatprovided forinthis
recommendation; from thatprovided forinnational legislation, regulation, orestablished national
guidelines; orfrom thatselected inother cases.
1Footnote 4oftheAgreement doesprovide that,forpurposes ofdetermining whether salesbelow
costmaybetreated asnotbeing intheordinary course oftrade, the"extended period oftime" within
which suchsalesaremade "should normally beoneyearbutshallinnocasebelessthansixmonths".
Thus, forpurposes ofinvestigating salesbelow cost,datacovering aperiod ofatleastsixmonths must
becollected.