Commission imposes tariff on dumped Italian tomatoes

The Anti-Dumping Commission has made a preliminary decision to impose a tariff penalty on tinned tomatoes imported from Italy which have been dumped in Australia, causing material injury to Australian processors.

Effective immediately, tariffs of around 9% will be imposed on 14 imported products deemed to have been dumped.

A Productivity Commission Inquiry rejected an application for World Trade Organization (WTO) safeguards through emergency tariff protections several weeks ago. Despite this, the Anti-Dumping Commissioner has found that the imported goods have caused material injury to local producers.

“The retail shelf price for Italian imports continue to reflect dumped export prices and as a result continue to place pressure on SPCA [SPC Ardmona] to promote and discount its prices below cost in order to remain competitive,” the Anti-Dumping Commission reported.

“This is a positive step forward for SPCA and our Australian tomato growers, who have been challenging the unfair market resulting from tough economic conditions over the past five years,” said SPC Ardmona Managing Director Peter Kelly.

“This has boosted our confidence in the Anti-Dumping Commission process and we’re looking forward to a favourable decision on our fruit submission.”

SPC Ardmona appeared at a Productivity Commission public hearing on 28 October to challenge what it described as “several poorly researched and incorrect findings” by the Productivity Commission in its initial report rejecting emergency safeguard tariffs.

“We find it hard to understand how the Productivity Commission could not find enough evidence of imported products causing injury, while the Anti-Dumping Commission clearly establishes that material damage has been caused from imports and that those imports have been dumped into the Australian market against WTO rules,” said Kelly.

“This correct decision by the Anti-Dumping Commission brings into question what the Productivity Commission was doing in its interim decision when it found that while the industry was suffering serious injury it would not impose WTO sanctioned safeguards,” said Paul Bastian, National Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU).

“This leaves in serious doubt whether the Productivity Commission is prepared to make decisions based on facts, on the real pressures and unfair trade practices confronting our industry and in the interest of our people or whether it is purely ideology that guides their deliberations.”

The full anti-dumping report into tomatoes is expected to be finalised in January 2014. The inquiry into SPC Ardmona’s submission regarding dumped peaches is continuing.