Another official agency in charge of calculating the extent of
injuries caused by the illegal dumping of imported products was
approved Tuesday by the central government.
The Bureau of Industry Injury Investigation under the State
Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) is authorized to calculate
the extent of injuries to the domestic industry when a foreign
company exports a product at a price lower than the price it
normally charges in its home market.
Co-operating with the agency, the Bureau of Fair Trade for Import
and Export, which was recently established under the Ministry of
Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), is responsible
for investigating foreign companies' dumping actions.
SETC officials said establishment of the agency was in compliance
with World Trade Organization
(WTO) regulations.
"The WTO allows countries to take action against dumping," said Wu
Yan, director of the bureau under SETC. "The agency's efforts are
aimed at protecting fair competition and safeguarding the state's
economic security," Wu said.
SETC, MOFTEC and the
General Administration of Customs are the three departments
involved in anti-dumping efforts.
If
SETC and MOFTEC find that a company's dumping action has directly
hurt the domestic industry, they will rule that an anti-dumping tax
be levied on the company. And the administration is responsible for
collecting the tax.
According to Wu, his bureau will now direct much of its energy to
helping draft anti-dumping laws.
"The WTO's regulations are a framework, and we must step up our
efforts to set down more detailed regulations," Wu said.
The bureau is determined to play a larger role in industry injury
investigation and arbitration, Wu said.
Wu
said a publicity and training campaign also will be launched to
raise the public awareness of anti-dumping legislation.
Those concerned can visit the website www.cacs.gov.cn to learn
about various countries' anti-dumping policies, Wu said.
"We also can help Chinese exporting companies investigate whether
their products are being dumped in foreign countries," Wu said.
SETC officials said anti-dumping accusations against Chinese
exporters worldwide have become a huge barrier for the state's
foreign trade.
(China
Daily December 5, 2001)
