Industry welcomes Anti-Dumping Commission's findings

The Anti-Dumping Commission has released a Statement of Facts about imported processed tomatoes which indicates that 56% of all processed tomatoes imported from Italy have been dumped in Australia.

The commission found that dumped tomatoes have caused material injury to the industry. The commission has recommended that two exporters have a dumping duty of more the 26% applied to their products, while other exporters have duties of 5% applied.

The decision has been welcomed by industry. “Illegal dumping is just another form of cheating,” said Ian Harrison, chief executive of the Australian Made Campaign.

“Consumers have the ultimate say in what they purchase, and there are consequences if we all increasingly purchase imported products over great Australian produce - further job losses and problems for our farming communities are at the forefront of those consequences.”

“The findings of extensive illegal dumping from foreign countries comes as no surprise to those within the vegetable industry, and AUSVEG fully appreciates the initiative undertaken by Anti-Dumping Commission to uncover these dubious practices where they occur,” said AUSVEG Public Affairs Manager William Churchill.

“AUSVEG also welcomes the commission’s recommendation to the Parliamentary Secretary for Industry that a dumping duty notice be applied to all exports of prepared or preserved tomatoes from Italy.”

AUSVEG has suggested that the collected duties be used to invest in SPC Ardmona, after the federal government decided against co-investing in its factory upgrade. Similar precedents exist in the United States where import duties are spent in the affected industry, AUSVEG says.

“There are alternative options that the government could consider without compromising its views on taxpayer handouts,” Churchill said.

The report into illegal dumping of tomatoes is available from the Anti-Dumping Commission website: www.adcommission.gov.au.