XN000022-1990-04-03 — Page 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1990

TRADE DEPT WELCOMES DECISION TO TERMINATE ANTI-DUMPING PROCEEDING

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THE TRADE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (TUESDAY.) IT HAD RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES HAD TERMINATED THE ANTI-DUMPING PROCEEDING AGAINST RE-EXPORTS OF TUNGSTEN ORES AND CONCENTRATES OF CHINESE ORIGIN FROM HONG KONG INTO THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (EEC). -

THE ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, MR STUART HARBINSON, SAID THAT, AS IN THE SILICON METAL CASE WHICH WAS TERMINATED LAST WEEK, HONG KONG WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE PROCEEDING BECAUSE THE

INVESTIGATION HAD SHOWN THAT THERE WAS NO EXPORT OF TUNGSTEN ORES AND CONCENTRATES ORGINATING IN HONG KONG TO THE BEC.

"WE WELCOME THE COMMISSION'S DECISION TO EXCLUDE HONG KONG FROM THE PROCEEDINGS," MR HARBINSON SAID.

"IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HONG KONG'S VIEW THAT NO ANTI-DUMPING PROCEEDING SHOULD BE INITIATED IN RESPECT OF A COUNTRY OR TERRITORY THROUGH WHICH THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION ARE MERELY TRANS-SHIPPED,' HE SAID.

"WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY ARGUED THIS IN OUR CONTACTS WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN THE POINT.

"TO PUT THE ISSUE BEYOND DOUBT FOR THE FUTURE, WE HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED, AS ONE OF HONG KONG'S SPECIFIC PROPOSALS ON IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GATT ANTI-DUMPING CODE, THAT THIS PRINCIPLE BE EXPLICITLY STATED IN THE CODE," MR HARBINSON EXPLAINED,

FOLLOWING TERMINATION OF THE SILICON METAL AND TUNGSTEN ORES THERE WAS NOW NO OUTSTANDING ANTI-DUMPING PROCEEDING CONCERNING HONG KONG'S RE-EXPORTS, HE SAID.

CASES,

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"HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL AWAITING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS RESPECT OF THE BRC ANTI-DUMPING PROCEEDINGS INVOLVING OUR DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF PHOTO ALBUMS, AUDIO TAPES, SMALL SCREEN COLOUR TELEVISION RECEIVERS AND DENIM CLOTI, MR HARBINSON SAID.

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