§ 74. Mr. Holtasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the applications for anti-dumping duties since the introduction of the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957, including the reasons for refusal or acceptance.
§ Sir D. EcclesThirty-four formal applications have been received for antidumping or countervailing duties under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957.
Anti-dumping duties have been imposed in two cases. The first, on polymethylsiloxane fluids from a particular firm in France, was revoked on 2nd June, 1959, because the dumping had ceased. The second, in respect of pearled barley from the Federal Republic of Germany, came into force on 28th May, 1959.
An application in 1957 for a countervailing duty on new potatoes from France was settled by the withdrawal of the French subsidy, and an application in 1958 by the New Zealand Government in respect of butter by a limitation of exports on the part of the countries concerned, which was terminated in December, 1958. In the case of an application by the Aluminum Co. of 119W Canada for an anti-dumping duty on Russian aluminium, no action was necessary, in view of an assurance by the Soviet Government about their prospective level of exports.
Applications that were advertised in respect of lighter flints and lithopone were withdrawn by the applicants, and those on piperazine and maize starch were rejected because a case was not made out.
Of the remaining applications, eleven were settled by agreement or rejected because of lack of evidence. Fourteen are still under consideration, of which two—in respect of pentaerythrithol and tartaric acid—have been advertised.