Antidumping commission established

The Minister for Home Affairs Jason Clare has introduced legislation to establish the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission, which will commence operation on 1 July 2013.

The Customs Amendment (Anti-Dumping Commission) Bill 2013 amends the Customs Act to create the Commissioner’s role and offer legislative guidance to the Commission’s work.

Key points include:

• The Commissioner will be responsible for decision-making and other antidumping-related functions that currently rest with the CEO of Customs and Border Protection.
• This Bill confers on the Commissioner all of the powers contained in Part XVB of the Customs Act, currently exercised by the CEO.
• The Bill also sets out the terms and conditions of the Commissioner’s appointment including the term of appointment, disclosure of interests, outside employment, resignation and termination.
• The Bill does not change the responsibility of the Minister for antidumping matters.

In 2012, the former premier of Victoria, John Brumby, contacted more than 400 stakeholders as part of a review into Australia’s antidumping and countervailing system. Brumby recommended that the government establish an antidumping commission and increase the resources set aside for antidumping investigations.

In December 2012, the Gillard government announced a package of measures to strengthen Australia’s antidumping system, including an extra $24.4 million for antidumping investigations. This new funding almost doubles the number of investigators working on antidumping matters.