§ Mr. Curryasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the adoption of a European Community Regulation. on the dumping of assembled products.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe Foreign Affairs Council adopted on 22 June a regulation designed to prevent the circumvention of anti-dumping duties by assembly operations within the Community with little or no added value. It would do so by extending these duties to a product assembled in the Community where assembly or production has been started or substantially increased after the opening of the anti-dumping investigation; where assembly or production is carried out by a company which is related to a manufacturer whose exports of the like product are subject to anti-dumping duty; and where the value of the parts used in the assembly operation and originating in the country of exportation exceeds the value of all other parts by at least 50 per cent. (that is, by a ratio of 40:60). The United Kingdom welcomed the Commission's original proposal and had pressed for a Community decision as soon as possible in order to close486W a loophole in the Community's existing controls and prevent continuing uncertainty which would have been unfair on genuine overseas investors. It would therefore have been undesirable to delay its adoption. I regret that the normal procedures were not followed on this occasion, but I hope the House will understand the special reasons why the Government agreed to the adoption of the regulation in these circumstances.