RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/W/14/Suppl.1
G/SCM/W/21/Suppl.1
ORGANIZATION 18July1995
(95-2054)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATIONS PROVIDED
BYTHE GOVERNMENT OFAUSTRALIA OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS
UNDER ARTICLES 18.5AND 32.6OFTHE AGREEMENTS
Supplement
Thefollowing communication, dated 13July1995, hasbeenreceived from theOffice ofthe
United States Trade Representative.
_______________
Enclosed areadditional questions concerning theinjury aspects ofAustralia 'santi-dumping
andcountervailing dutylegislation which weintend topursue atnextweek'smeeting.
Injury:
25. Section 269TAE.(1) oftheCustoms Act1901("Act") states thatmaterial injury toanAustralian
industry "hasbeenorisbeing caused" or"isthreatened orwould ormight havebeencaused" "because
ofanycircumstances inrelation totheexportation ofgoods toAustralia fromthecountry ofexport."
Explain howthislanguage isconsistent with:
(a) thedefinition ofmaterial injury asapresent condition contained inArticle 3.5ofthe
ADAgreement andArticle 15.5oftheSCM Agreement;
(b) thedefinition ofthreat ofmaterial injury as"based onfactsandnotmerely onallegation,
conjecture orremote possibility" contained inArticle 3.7oftheADAgreement andArticle 15.7
oftheSCM Agreement; and
(c) therequirement ofacausal relationship between thedumped orsubsidized imports
andtheinjury tothedomestic industry contained inArticle 3.5oftheADAgreement and
Article 15.5oftheSCM Agreement.
26. Section 269TAE.(1) oftheActstates that"theMinister may...haveregard to"thefollowing
criteria inorder todetermine whether anAustralian industry hasbeenmaterially injured, threatened,
ortheestablishment ofanindustry materially hindered. Howistheapparently discretionary language
"may ...haveregard to"consistent withthe"shall consider" requirement ofArticle 3.2oftheAD
Agreement andArticle 15.2oftheSCM Agreement?
27. Article 3.2oftheADAgreement andArticle 15.2oftheSCM Agreement provide thatprice
undercuttingis"significant"orthatdumpedorsubsidizedimportsdepresspricestoa"significantdegree"
orprevent price increases toa"significant degree." How issection 269TAE.(1)(d)-(f) oftheAct
consistent withthese requirements thatprice effects besignificant?G/ADP/W/14/Suppl.1
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28. Section 269TAE.(3) oftheActprovides alistoftherelevant economic factors tobeconsidered.
Isthislistexhaustive orareotherfactors alsoconsidered, suchasinventories, factors affecting domestic
prices, andother relevant economic factors asprovided forinArticle 3.4oftheADAgreement and
Article 15.4oftheSCM Agreement?
29. Section 269TAE.(2B) oftheActprovides thatdeterminations regarding threat ofmaterial injury
"must takeaccount onlyofsuchchanges incircumstances ...aswould make thatinjury foreseeable
andimminent unless dumping orcountervailing measures wereimposed." Howwillthecriteria for
threat determinations articulated inArticle 3.7oftheADAgreement andArticle 15.7oftheSCM
Agreement beimplemented oratleastconsidered inthethreat determination?
30. Section 269TAE.(2B) oftheActprovides guidance onhowsubsections (1)and(2)aretobe
considered forthethreat determination. Issimilar separate guidance provided regarding consideration
ofthose subsections formaterial injury determinations andformaterial hindrance determinations?
31. Section 269TAE.(2C) oftheActpermits consideration ofthecumulative effects ofimports
frommorethanonecountry "ifhaving regard to"theconditions ofcompetition between imported goods
andbetween imported goods andthedomestic likegood, "theMinister issatisfied thatitisappropriate
todoso."Howwilltheother requirements ofArticle 3.3oftheADAgreement andArticle 15.3of
theSCM Agreement beconsidered, which provide thatthecumulative effect maybeconsidered "only
if"adetermination ismade thatthedumping margin oramount ofsubsidization ismore thandeminimis
(pursuant toArticle 5.8orArticle 11.9, respectively) andthatthevolume ofimports fromeachcountry
isnotnegligible?
32. Theterm"Australian industry" isusedinseveral sections oftheActandisbriefly defined
inSection 269T.(4) asconsisting ofaperson or"persons whoproduce likegoods inAustralia." How
does Australia 'sapplication orconstruction oftheterm "Australian industry" conform withthe
requirements ofArticle 4.1oftheADAgreement andArticle 16.1oftheSCM Agreement, specifically
regarding:
(a) therequirement thatdomestic producers constitute a"major proportion ofthetotal
domestic production;"
(b) thedefinition ofproducers "related toexporters orimporters;" and
(c) therestrictions regarding dividing production "intotwoormore competitive markets,"
(i.e., regional industries)?
33. Isthere arequirement consistent withArticle 3.6oftheADAgreement andArticle 15.6of
theSCM Agreement regarding examination ofproduction dataonthebasis oflikeproduct orthe
narrowest group orrange ofproducts?
34. Section 269TB.(4) oftheActrequires thatapplications foranti-dumping orcountervailing duty
actions "beinanapproved form" and"contain suchinformation astheformrequires." Istheinformation
required ontheapproved formconsistent withtherequirements ofArticle 5.2oftheADAgreement
andArticle 11.2oftheSCM Agreement?
35. Section 269TC.(4)(e) oftheActspecifies thatinterested parties willhaveaperiod of"notmore
than40daysafterthedateofinitiation oftheinvestigation" tolodge "submissions concerning the
publication ofthenotice sought bytheapplication." How isthisconsistent withArticle 6.2ofthe
ADAgreement andArticle 12.3oftheSCM Agreement?G/ADP/W/14/Suppl.1
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36. Arethereanyrequirements concerning howinformation istobesought frominterested parties
inaninvestigation consistent withArticle 6.1oftheADAgreement andArticle 12.1oftheSCM
Agreement?