2nd LD Writethru: Brussels presents proposal for new anti-dumping regime

The European Commission Wednesday presented its long-waited proposal for a new methodology for anti-dumping investigations, linked to the scheduled expiration of current "non-market status" treatment toward third countries including China.

European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen and Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom announced the new methodology at a press conference in Brussels.

"Competition is good, but global trade must stick to certain rules. We must make sure that we have an effective and clear rulebook when things go wrong," said Malmstrom.

"We are proposing to modify anti-dumping and anti-subsidy regulation, maintaining a similar level of anti-dumping duty as today," she added.

The proposals will be discussed among EU trade ministers on Friday and EU parliament will soon make a decision, Malmstrom noted.

The new regime is expected to scrap a list of "non-market economies", but European Union (EU) officials said that it would not grant any country the "market economy status" and ensure that the bloc's trade defence arsenal could maintain an equivalent level of protection.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm, left open the option to use "international" price and cost reference in further anti-dumping cases if "market distortion" was found in a third country, which could still fall short of its obligation to international trade rules.

The new anti-dumping regime was tabled after a routine meeting of EU commissioners earlier the day, and is scheduled to be submitted to other European decision-makers including the European Council and and the European Parliament.

The proposal came only one month before the expiration of some provisions under the Article 15 of the Protocol on China's accession to the World Trade Organization, due on Dec. 11.

The expiration would require WTO members to end a "surrogate country system," under which cost data of production in a third country is used to calculate the value of products from China.

Beijing has urged Brussels to strictly fulfill its WTO obligation without any additional condition by due time.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry earlier cautioned that Brussels's new anti-dumping rules should not exceed the current standards under the WTO on market distortion, and should not become an excuse for enforcing anti-dumping measures that were against WTO rules.

The ministry also expressed hope that Brussels would avoid sending the wrong signal on trade protectionism. Endit