EU trade chief proceeds with care on dumping review
Source: Reuters
By William Schomberg BRUSSELS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The European Union's trade chief launched a politically sensitive review of how the bloc fends off underpriced imports on Wednesday and tried to reassure manufacturers he was not set on reducing their protection. The emergence of China as an export power has highlighted a split within the EU that often pits southern European countries such as Italy, concerned about the future of their industries, against the traditionally free-trading Nordics. Peter Mandelson, a trade liberal, insisted he had an open mind about how the EU might reform its anti-dumping and other rules covering unfair trade. "I am not committed a priori to any reform of the system, far less to a radical overhaul," Mandelson told reporters as he launched a consultation paper. "But I do expect the consultation will highlight some areas that require further attention." The paper asks whether the needs of importers and consumers should be considered alongside those of manufacturers when deciding what is in the EU's "Community interest", one of the key factors in dumping decisions. It also asks whether Brussels should reconsider a rule that a request for an anti-dumping investigation must be endorsed by at least 25 percent of the European sector making that product. An earlier draft of the paper suggested a bigger percentage of EU industry might be needed to force a probe. An EU diplomat said some countries pressed the Commission to change the draft at the last minute, fearing it tilted too far in favour of importers. "There were one or two presentational, draft changes that we took on board to get the maximum consensus," said Peter Power, Mandelson's spokesman, although he insisted there were no substantial changes to the final text. Mandelson has been caught in the EU's divide on trade issues on numerous occasions in his two years as trade commissioner, most notably in disputes over surging imports of Chinese clothing and leather shoes. Also on Wednesday, the EU's executive Commission formally asked member states for mandates to negotiate free trade agreements with India, South Korea and southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia and Thailand, plus countries in Central America and the Andean region of South America. The Commission hopes to launch the talks in 2007 but says its priority remains the conclusion of the World Trade Organisation's Doha round of global trade negotiations. The Doha round was suspended in July and risks being delayed by several years if there is no breakthrough in early 2007.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
