The Anti-Dumping Commission has published its final report on 'dumped' Italian tomatoes
The Anti-Dumping Commission has published a final report on its findings that a number of Italian tomato products had been dumped into the Australian market.
The Commission has said that exporters of these types of products sent to Australia since 1 November 2013 may be forced to pay a dumping tax to the Australian Government.
The report, which has been published on the Commission’s website, found that:
Prepared or preserved tomatoes exported from Italy to Australia were dumped with margins ranging from 3.25 per cent to 26.53 per cent
The dumped exports caused material injury to the Australian industry producing like goods
Continued dumping may cause further material injury to the Australian industry.
The Anti-Dumping Commission’s investigation was in response to an application by food manufacturer SPC Ardmona, which claimed its business has been materially injured by “cheap imports” of tomato products.
Australian Food News reported in November 2013 that the Anti-Dumping Commission’s initial findings had been welcomed by the industry, but that some commentators had suggested the findings had come too late.
Final report welcomed by AusVeg
Vegetable and potato growers’ representative body AusVeg has welcomed the final report and called for the Federal Government to use the taxes collected from the Italian exporters to support Australian vegetable and tomato growers.
AusVeg spokesperson Hugh Gurney said the publication of the report would “hopefully help to prevent further injury to the Australian tomato and vegetable processing industry, which in the past three years has been beset by a spate of factory closures.”
“AusVeg is calling on the Federal Government to use the dumping duty collected from these Italian exporters employing questionable tactics to support Australian vegetable and tomato growers and processors who have been injured by this predatory pricing,” Mr Gurney said.
Mr Gurney said the publication of the final report “vindicated” the Australian industry, which had been “struggling to compete on a playing field which in no way could be considered level.”
AusVeg said that in 2012-13, Australia imported $52 million worth of prepared or preserved tomato products, with over $49 million worth of these products originating in Italy.
“With 93 per cent of tomatoes imported into Australia originating in Italy, this announcement will serve to discourage those exporters who refuse to play by the rules,” Mr Gurney said.
