RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/W/404
20March 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1151)
Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Asaresult ofinformal consultations onanti-circumvention opentoallinterested Members,
theChairman wishes toinform theCommittee about thefollowing proposal. Comments, ifany,on
thisproposal should besubmitted totheChairman ortheSecretariat by26March 1997.
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CHAIRMAN 'SPROPOSAL
1. Pursuant totheMinisterial Decision onAnti-Circumvention andthedecision oftheCommittee
onAnti-Dumping Practices of7December 1995, theinformal consultations should beconducted in
accordance withthefollowing framework andontheunderstanding that:
(1) Theinformal consultations should beconducted without anypreconditions, guided by
theMinisterial Decision, andthere should benoprejudgment ontheoutcome;
(2) Alogical, objective andanalytical approach totheissueshould beadopted. Asageneral
guideline,theinformalconsultationswillmovetothenextstageonlyafterthediscussion
oftheprevious stage hasbeentaken asfaraspossible andthatsodoing willnotbe
counterproductive. Inparticular, inorder toprovide asound basisfordiscussing any
possible actions inresponse totheproblem ofcircumvention, abroad, common
understanding onwhat constitutes circumvention should firstbereached asfaras
possible;
(3) Nothing isagreed untileverything isagreed;
(4) Present economic circumstances arerelevant tothediscussion oftheproblem of
circumvention; and
(5) Members recognize thatquestions concerning national legislation andpractices inthe
areaofanti-circumvention maybediscussed inthecourse oftheinformal consultations.
Nonetheless, theconsistency ofsuchlegislation orpractices withtheAgreement is
notthesubject oftheinformal consultations.
./.G/ADP/W/404
Page2
2. There arethree broad areas andstages intowhich discussion intheinformal consultations in
response totheMinisterial Decision onAnti-Circumvention could bedivided -
(1) Forthepurpose ofsetting outtheproblem:
What constitutes circumvention?
(2) Fortransparency purposes andonawithout prejudice basis:
What isbeing done byMembers confronted withwhat theyconsider tobe
circumvention?
(3) Forthepurpose ofreviewing theproblem within themultilateral framework:
Towhatextent cancircumvention bedealtwithunder therelevant WTO rules?
Towhatextent canitnot?
What other options maybedeemed necessary?