XN000022-1991-07-19 — Page 19

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FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1991

IMPOSITION OF ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES ON HK SMALL-SCREEN TV RECEIVERS

THE TRADE DEPARTMENT TODAY (FRIDAY) SAID IT HAD RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES HAD ANNOUNCED THE IMPOSITION OF DEFINITIVE ANTİ-DUMPING DUTIES ON SMÅLL- SCREEN COLOUR TELEVISION RECEIVERS (THOSE WITH A DIAGONAL SCREEN SIZE BETWEEN 15.5 CM AND 42 CM) ORIGINATED IN HONG KONG.

THE DUTY RATES RANGE FROM 2.1 PER CENT TO 4.8 PER CENT AND WILL BE VALID FOR FIVE YEARS.

THE PROCEEDING WAS INITIATED ON NOVEMBER 12, 1988.

A TOTAL OF SIX HONG KONG

INVESTIGATION.

MANUFACTURERS

PARTICIPATED IN THE

2.1 19

:

PROVISIONAL ANTI-DUMPING DUTY OF THE SAME RATES (İ.B. FROM PER CENT TO 4.8 PER CENT) WAS IMPOSED BY THE COMMISSION ON JANUARY THIS YEAR.

"IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE TRADE DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC TRADE OFFICE IN BRUSSELS HAVE MADE REPRESENTATIONS TO THE COMMISSION TO EXPLAIN THAT

HONG KONG'S OPEN ECONOMY AND THE SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE OF HONG KONG COMPANIES, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW A HONG KONG COMPANY COULD DUMP, DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, MR ALAN LAI, SAID.

'IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT NOTWITHSTANDING THE FREE TRADE NATURE OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMY, THE COMMISSION HAS STILL DECIDED TO IMPOSE DEFINITIVE DUTIES ON TELEVISION RECEIVERS ORIGINATING IN HONG KONG.

"TOGETHER WITH THE HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS CONCERNED, THE DEPARTMENT WILL EXAMINE THE COMMISSION'S REGULATIONS TO SEE WHETHER THERE ARE ANY NEW POINTS WORTH PURSUING FURTHER, HE ADDED.

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FOLLOWING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ON SMALL SCREEN-COLOUR TELEVISION RECEIVERS THE COMMISSION HAS COMPLETED ITS INVESTIGATIONS ON ALL THE EIGHT ANTI-DUMPING PROCEEDINGS INITIATED AGAINST HONG KONG BETWEEN DECEMBER 1987 AND MARCH 1989.

OF THESE, SIX CASES (CELLULAR MOBILE RADIO TELEPHONES, DENIM CLOTH, PHOTO ALBUMS, SILICON METAL, TUNGSTEN ORES AND AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES) HAVE BEEN TERMINATED WITHOUT IMPOSITION OF ANY ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES WHILE ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES HAVE BEEN IMPOSED IN TWO CASES (VIDEO CASSETTE TAPES AND SMALL SCREEN COLOUR TELEVISION RECEIVERS).

"ALTHOUGH WE ARE RELIEVED THAT NO NEW ANTI-DUMPING CASES INVOLVING HONG KONG HAVE BEEN INITIATED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION SINCE MARCH 1989, WE WILL REMAIN ON GUARD AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY," MR LAI SAID.

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