Australia initiates exemption inquiry on duties imposed on galvanized imports

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The inquiry follows an application by the Trading Consultant, an Australian importer of goods, including galvanized steel.

The applicant claimed there was “no Australian producer of [similar] or directly competitive goods to the exemption goods” the commission said on Thursday June 11.

The exemption goods are classified under tariff subheading 7212.30 00 (statistical code 61) of Schedule 3 of the Australia’s Customs Tariff Act 1995.

After making inquiries of the Australian industry producing zinc-coated (galvanized) steel and other interested parties, the commission will recommend to the parliamentary secretary of Australia’s Ministry of Industry and Science whether the exemption goods should be exempted from the anti-dumping measures, it said.

Australia began imposing anti-dumping measures, in the form of a dumping duty notice and a countervailing duty notice, on galvanized steel from China, South Korea and Taiwan on August 5, 2013.

Exports from China, South Korea and Taiwan are subject to dumping duties and exports from China are subject to a countervailing duty.

A number of exporters are exempt from the duties, and certain goods, which are subject to specified Tariff Concession Orders, are also exempt from the duties, the commission said.

Interested parties are invited to lodge written submissions to the commission by July 1.

The commission has also recently launched two anti-circumvention inquiries on galvanized steel imports to determine whether the product in question from China, South Korea and Taiwan had been modified to avoid the payment of anti-dumping duties.