RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/Q1/SGP/14
G/SCM/Q1/SGP/14
ORGANIZATION 8April 1998
(98-1445)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLES 18.5AND 32.6OFTHE AGREEMENTS
Questions from theUNITED STATES
toSINGAPORE1
Thefollowingcommunication,dated6April1998,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
oftheUnited States.
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1. What isthelegalrelationship between theCountervailing andAnti-Dumping Duties Regulations
1997andtheCountervailing andAnti-Dumping Duties Act1996? Have anychanges oramendments
beenmade totheAct? Aretheregulations andtheActthesolesources oflegalauthority forimposing
anti-dumping andcountervailing duties?
2. Theregulations address cumulation ofgoods from more thanonecountry forpurposes of
determining injury incountervailing dutyinvestigations. Inaseparate provision, theregulations address
cumulationofgoodsfrommorethanonecountryinanti-dumpingdutyinvestigations.Dotheregulations
contemplate cumulation ofimports subject tosimultaneous anti-dumping andcountervailing duty
investigations, andifso,under whatcircumstances?
3. Under theAct,aninterested party hasarightofreview bytheAnti-Dumping Tribunal ofany
finaldetermination orreview; however, because thistribunal isappointed bytheMinister forTrade
andIndustry whoalsodetermines thetribunal 'sremuneration, conditions ofappointment, andrules
ofprocedure, itisunclear whether thistribunal is"independent oftheauthorities responsible forthe
determination orreview inquestion", asrequired byArticle 13oftheA-DAgreement andArticle 23
oftheSCM Agreement. How dotheregulations clarify thisissue?
4. Under section 39(2) oftheRegulations, forpurposes ofafive-year "extension review" the
Minister willspecify theperiod within which anyinterested parties maypresent views onthetermination
ofimposition ofduties. What period willnormally bespecified forpurposes ofexpressing suchviews?
5. Under paragraph (3)(5), theMinister forTrade andIndustry ("Minister") maypermit an
amendment tothepetition prior tothepreliminary determination ifheissatisfied that"exceptional
circumstances" existtojustify suchaction. What kinds ofcircumstances doesSingapore anticipate
itwould deem exceptional?
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6. Paragraph (8)(g) indicates thatpublic notice ofaninitiation ofaninvestigation willinclude
theproposed timelimits forsuchinvestigation. Willtheseproposed timelimits alsoinclude timelimits
regarding interested parties 'comments, asrequired byArticle 12.1.1 (vi)oftheA-DAgreement and
Article 22.2(vi) oftheSCM Agreement?
7. Paragraph (9)(1) states thattheMinister mayissue questionnaires toanyrelevant party inan
investigation toobtain information heconsiders necessary formaking adetermination under theAct.
DoesSingapore anticipate instances when itwould notissuequestionnaires toproducers andexporters?
Ifso,whatalternative means willSingapore employ toprovide notice toallinterested parties ofthe
information required tobesubmitted, asmandated byArticle 6.1oftheA-DAgreement andArticle 12.1
oftheSCM Agreement?
8. Paragraph (11)(1) doesnotspecifically statethatnotice willbepublic. Willthenotice ofa
preliminary determination bemade public, asrequired byArticle 12.2oftheA-DAgreement and
Article 22.3oftheSCM Agreement?
9. Willthenoticeofanaffirmativepreliminarydeterminationofdumpingunderparagraph(11)(2)(c)
include adiscussion ofthemethodology usedintheestablishment andcomparison oftheexport price
andnormal value, asrequired byArticle 12.2.1(iii) oftheADAgreement?
10. Paragraph (12)(2)(b) indicates thatinanti-dumping investigations theapplication ofprovisional
measures shallnotexceed sixmonths or,where exporters representing asignificant percentage ofsubject
imports sorequests, ninemonths. Article 7.4oftheA-DAgreement requires thatprovisional measures
shallnotexceed fourmonths, orsixmonths where exporters representing asignificant percentage of
subject imports request extension. How doesparagraph 12(2)(b) comply withArticle 7.4? Does
Singapore make adetermination inallanti-dumping investigations astowhether adutylessthanthe
margin ofdumping issufficient toeliminate theinjury? Isthisdoneinboththeprovisional andfinal
stages ofeachanti-dumping investigation?
11. Paragraph (13)doesnotprovide foratimeperiod forthedomestic industry topresent an
allegation ofcritical circumstances inananti-dumping oracountervailing dutyinvestigation. Does
Singapore intend tolimitthetimeperiod inwhich thepetitioning industry canmake suchanallegation?
Does Singapore intend tomake suchafinding without anallegation from thepetitioning industry?
Willinterested parties bepermitted tosubmit information andcomment regarding whether critical
circumstances existprior totheMinister 'sfinding?
12. Paragraph (14)doesnotspecify whataction(s) Singapore willtakeifaviolation oftheprice
undertaking hasoccurred. How doesSingapore intend toactinthisregard? Willinterested parties
bepermitted anopportunity torespond ifSingapore determines thataviolation hasoccurred, or
determines toterminate theprice undertaking?
13. Paragraph (22)(b) states thattheMinister shallallocate thecountervailable subsidy tothose
goods withwhich thecountervailable subsidy isassociated. Upon whatfactors willSingapore rely
inmaking thisdetermination?
14. Paragraph (29)(3) indicates thatincalculating thecosts ofproduction andconstructed value
actual dataoftheproducer orexporter intheexporting country shallbeused. Doestheterm"exporting
country"asusedinparagraph(29)(3)havethesamemeaningas"countryoforigin"underArticle2.2.2(i)
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15. Paragraph (40)(2) compels animporter seeking arefund review tofirstinform theMinister
andtheDirector-General ofCustoms andExcise ofsuchrequest nolaterthanthetimeofentry ofsubject
goods intoSingapore "insuchformasmayberequired". HowwillSingapore implement thisprovision?
Willimporters beputonnotice inatimely manner?
16. Paragraph (40)(7) states thatwhere themargin ofdumping inarefund review isfound tobe
lessthantheanti-dumping dutypaidbyanimporter, thedifference shallberefunded. Does Singapore
intend normally tomake refunds within the90daytime-period described inArticle 9.3.2 oftheA-D
Agreement?
17. Paragraph (41)willtheMinister impose deadlines upon interested parties forthewritten
submission ofinformation described inparagraph (41)(1)? Willinterested parties beprovided with
theopportunity tosubmit information andwritten comments indefence oftheirinterests andforrebuttal
andclarification ofinformation andcomments submitted byothers?
18. Paragraph (43)(6) indicates thatwhere theMinister decides nottoconduct verification hemay
request aninterested party tosubmit "statements from independent auditors astotheaccuracy and
completenessofthefactualinformationsubmitted".Willsuchauditors'attestationsbelimitedtofinancial
statements? Ifnot,whatother kinds ofinformation doesSingapore envision anindependent auditor
would attest to?
19. Singapore 'sregulations donotaddress importation ofsubject merchandise through intermediate
countries. However, section 40ofSingapore 'sActdoesprovide thatwhere merchandise isnotimported
directly intoSingapore butindirectly through anintermediate country, suchmerchandise willbe
considered tohaveoriginated inthecountry oforigin, andtheprovisions ofSingapore 'sActwillapply.
Doesthismean thatSingapore willalways compare theexport pricetocomparable prices inthecountry
oforigin? Ifso,howdoesSingapore intend tocomply withArticle 2.5oftheA-DAgreement, which
states thattheexport price ofsubject merchandise willnormally becompared tothecomparable price
ofthemerchandise soldintheintermediate country (exporting country), unless certain circumstances
exist, inwhich casetheexport pricemaybecompared tothecomparable priceinthecountry oforigin?
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