§ 43. Mr. P. Browneasked the President of the Board of Trade if, as the result of further consideration, he intends to impose an anti-dumping duty on Polish shell eggs coming into this country; and if he will make a statement.
85W
§ Mr. ErrollI am satisfied that a margin of dumping is involved in the price at which Polish shell eggs are being sold. Imports have, however, been at a much lower level than during the comparable period last year and are now declining. The total quantity of Polish eggs likely to be imported during the year represents between only 1 and 2 per cent. of estimated total commercial supplies on the market. On the evidence of the scale of imports so far and of their likely future level, I do not consider that they could exercise a significant influence on the average price for the year; they could not therefore reasonably be regarded as threatening material injury to the British producers.
As regards the application in respect of imports of frozen egg from China and Poland, no appreciable quantity of frozen egg from China is expected in the immediate future, and I have no evidence as to the prices at which any imports of Chinese frozen eggs may be imported and, consequently, no grounds for assuming that they will be sold at dumped prices. As regards Polish frozen egg imports, very little has arrived so far and, according to my latest information, Polish imports during the year will be considerably less than half the quantity originally anticipated by the applicants. Even if imports at the level I am envisaging were to be sold at dumped prices, I am satisfied that the possible effect on the Egg Marketing Board's average selling price for the egg year would not be such as to threaten or cause material injury to British egg producers.
I have accordingly decided to reject both the applications. If, later in the year, the Egg Marketing Board can provide prima facie evidence that imports from any source are being or are likely to be sold at dumped prices and this will cause or threaten material injury to British producers, I shall be ready to consider the new evidence urgently.