§ The Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Mr. Anthony Grant)I beg to move,
That the Anti-Dumping Duty (No. 5) Order 1971 (S.I., 1971, No. 1897), dated 23rd November, 1971, a copy of which was laid before this House on 23rd November, be approved.This Order, which is made under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1969, imposes an anti-dumping duty of £50 per ton on imports of chromic anhydride originating in the U.S.S.R., the duty being chargeable both for the future and, retrospectively, from 24th August, 1971, when these goods were made subject to a provisional charge to antidumping duty of £50 per ton.In accordance with normal practice, there is provision for relief under Section 2 of the Act in respect of any imports which are shown to the satisfaction of the Department not to be dumped to the full extent of the duty.
The anti-dumping action which we have taken follows a thorough investigation by the Department of an application submitted by the British industry for anti-dumping action against imports of this material originating in the U.S.S.R. but being exported to Britain mainly by European merchants holding substantial stocks in Antwerp and Rotterdam.
Our investigation established that the chromic anhydride was dumped by reference to the price paid for imports of this material from West Germany. The 1969 Act allows us to use this method of assessing dumping in the case of imports from state trading countries when satisfactory information cannot be obtained about their domestic prices.
We were also satisfied, after a thorough investigation of the position of the British producers by our professional accountants, that the dumping had caused material injury and threatened to cause further material injury to the British industry. In the light of these findings, and after considering representations made to us by importers and users of this material, we concluded that it was in the national interest to impose the duty.
§ Question put and agreed to.