RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/W/55
G/SCM/W/64
22September 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2747)
Original: Spanish Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
REPLIES FROM VENEZUELA CONCERNING QUESTIONS POSED
BYTURKEY1CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION OF
VENEZUELAN LAWS AND REGULATIONS2
Thefollowingcommunication,dated18July1995,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofVenezuela.
/74/
_______________
1. Canprovisional measures beapplied sooner than60days from thedateofinitiation of
theinvestigation? Which provision ofVenezuelan legislation deals withthematter?
Atpresent, theVenezuelan authorities areunable toapply provisional measures sooner than
60daysfromthedateofinitiation oftheinvestigation astheWTO Agreements aredirectly applicable
foranti-dumping orsubsidy procedures initiated after1January 1995 inVenezuela. Therefore, in
thecaseofaprocedure involving imports fromanyWTO Member, inaccordance withtheprovisions
ofArticle 7oftheAnti-Dumping Agreement andArticle 17oftheAgreement onSubsidies and
Countervailing Measures, theVenezuelan authorities canapply provisional measures onlyoncethe
conditions setoutinthese provisions havebeenmet.
2. How willtheauthorities determine thatanapplication hasbeen made byoronbehalf
ofdomestic industry according totheVenezuelan legislation?
Todate,theVenezuelan authorities havebeenusing thecriteria contained inArticle 14ofthe
Anti-Dumping LawandArticle 47ofitsRegulations notjusttodetermine injury butalsotodetermine
whether thereisalegitimate caseforlodging requests foraninvestigation. TheVenezuelan authorities
havethusbeenapplying thestandard inArticle 47oftheRegulations of30percentofthedomestic
industry producing likegoods (which isstricter thanthatintheWTO Agreements). However, under
Article 47oftheRegulations, exceptionally, ifthespecial circumstances oftheproduction structure
inquestion sorequire, theauthorities mayuseasabenchmark alower percentage, which maynot
belessthan20percent(thislower percentage isunderstood asamended bytheWTO Agreement to
thefigure of26percent).
1G/ADP/W/41-G/SCM/W/49.
2G/ADP/N/1/VEN/1-G/SCM/N/1/VEN/1.
./.G/ADP/W/55
G/SCM/W/64
Page2
3. How mayitbepresumed thatinjury, threat ofinjury ormaterial retardation existwhen
theproof ofinjury isnotrequired bythecountry ofexport oroforigin according totheprovision
oftheSingle Paragraph ofArticle 11oftheLaw? Shall notadetermination ofinjury bebased
onpositive evidence?
Asreported, inVenezuela theprovisions oftheWTO Agreements aredirectly applicable for
anti-dumpingorsubsidyproceduresinitiatedafter1January1995.Therefore,theVenezuelanauthorities
willnotimpose anyprovisional ordefinitive measure unless dumping orsubsidization, injury andthe
causal linkhavebeenproven, inaccordance withtheprovisions oftheWTO Agreements.
However, theprovision ofthesingle paragraph ofArticle 11ofVenezuela 'sAnti-Dumping
Law, stating thatproof ofinjury shallnotberequired andthatinjury maybepresumed toexistwhen
suchproof ofinjury isnotrequired inthecountry ofexport oroforigin, shallremain fullyinforce.
So,theAnti-Dumping Lawapplies to:
(a) WTO Members, insofarasitisconsistent withtheAgreements; and
(b) other countries, infull.
Ascanbeseenfrom thequestion, allWTO Members willhavetoprove injury before being
abletoimpose anyprovisional ordefinitive measure. Therefore, theonlycountries thatcould becovered
bythepresumption inthesingle paragraph ofArticle 11ofVenezuela 'sAnti-Dumping Lawarecountries
thatdonotadmit proof ofinjury, towit,non-Members oftheWTO.